China-Pakistan Information Corridor launched in Islamabad to boost media and cultural ties

ISLAMABAD: The China-Pakistan Information Corridor was launched in the federal capital on Monday to strengthen cooperation between the two countries in media, fact-checking, business, research and cultural exchanges, according to Xinhua.

Information and Broadcasting Minister Attaullah Tarar attended the ceremony and delivered a speech. So did Mao Ning, Director General of the Department of Press, Communication and Public Diplomacy of China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and spokesperson of the ministry, and Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan Jiang Zaidong.

Around 600 representatives from the media, think tanks and other sectors of both countries took part in the event.

Mr Tarar said the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) connected the economies of the two countries. The Information Corridor, he said, aimed to build closer ties between their peoples through communication and shared understanding.

He said the initiative would focus on four areas. These are media cooperation and fact-checking to counter misinformation; business cooperation to strengthen links between enterprises; think tanks and research to promote knowledge-sharing and intellectual exchanges; and culture, tourism and youth engagement to expand people-to-people contacts.

Mr Tarar expressed hope that the corridor would bring stories of Pakistan-China friendship to households in both countries in their own languages. He said it would also contribute to building a community with a shared future for humanity.

Ms Mao said China and Pakistan were all-weather strategic cooperative partners. She added that CPEC had delivered tangible benefits to the people of both countries.

"Stories have the power to shape people's thoughts and behaviour," she said, adding that there were many compelling stories between China and Pakistan that deserved to be told and heard.

She said the corridor could play an important role in telling more and better stories of bilateral cooperation. In her words, the initiative would build a bridge connecting the hearts of the two peoples and share inspiring stories of ordinary people working together. This, she added, would strengthen public support for bilateral friendship.

Ambassador Jiang said the corridor had moved from concept to reality with the strong support of various departments in both countries. He named in particular their diplomatic and information departments. He also credited close cooperation among various sectors, especially the media and think tanks.

He expressed confidence that the corridor would help create a more favourable public opinion environment for advancing practical cooperation between the two countries. He said it would lay a stronger public foundation for a closer China-Pakistan community with a shared future in the new era. It would also provide a more effective platform for telling stories of each country's development and their joint progress, he said.

The event also featured booths showcasing Chinese and Pakistani culture and cuisine. Artists from both countries performed cultural programmes highlighting their national traditions.