{"id":56950,"date":"2025-12-24T14:45:14","date_gmt":"2025-12-24T14:45:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pakistanintheworld.pk\/live\/?p=56950"},"modified":"2025-12-26T23:45:33","modified_gmt":"2025-12-26T23:45:33","slug":"pakistan-china-unique-iron-brothers-attaullah-tarar-proposes-fact-check-forum-chinese-ambassador-lauds-bond-cutting-across-all-political-parties-mushahid-terms-china-pivot","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pakistanintheworld.pk\/live\/pakistan-china-unique-iron-brothers-attaullah-tarar-proposes-fact-check-forum-chinese-ambassador-lauds-bond-cutting-across-all-political-parties-mushahid-terms-china-pivot\/","title":{"rendered":"Pakistan-China Unique Iron Brothers, Attaullah Tarar proposes Fact Check Forum, Chinese Ambassador lauds bond \u2018cutting across all political parties, Mushahid Terms China \u2018Pivot\u2019 of Foreign Policy, Joint celebration of 75 years of ties planned for 2026"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"Pakistan China Monitoring Desk Islamabad | Camera Raja Ghulam Farid<\/strong><\/p>\n

Pakistan-China Institute (PCI), in collaboration with China Economic Net and Embassy of Peoples Republic of China organized the 9th CPEC Media Forum, bringing together senior Pakistani and Chinese officials, diplomats, media leaders, and representatives of Chinese enterprises to reinforce media collaboration around CPEC 2.0, promote fact-based narrative building, and respond to rising challenges of misinformation, disinformation, and \u201cfake news\u201d targeting Pakistan\u2013China cooperation.<\/em><\/p>\n

During the forum, PCI also launched a research report titled \u201cAn Analysis of the Practical Application of Chinese Technical Standards in Pakistan\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n

Mustafa Hyder Sayed, Executive Director, PCI, opened the forum by welcoming dignitaries and underscored that the CPEC Media Forum has been a flagship Pakistan\u2013China media platform \u201cevery year since 2015,\u201d initiated in the wake of President Xi Jinping\u2019s April 2015 visit. Recalling that the first forum was held in Beijing in November 2015 with PCI\u2019s partner China Economic Net, he highlighted continuity even during COVID-19 through virtual formats.<\/p>\n

He said the forum\u2019s core purpose is to \u201cshape the narrative,\u201d regarding CPEC specifically one \u201crooted in facts\u201d and grounded in \u201cexemplary Pakistan\u2013China cooperation,\u201d adding that this edition carried \u201cspecial significance\u201d as it follows the announcement of CPEC 2.0 amid rapidly expanding cooperation, including on defense, especially during Pakistan\u2019s victory over India in May this year, which he said had recently been \u201cwitnessed\u2026by the whole world.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"Senator Mushahid Hussain Sayed, Chairman, Pakistan-China Institute<\/strong><\/em>, framed the forum within a broader strategic moment for Pakistan\u2019s external relations, referencing his recent travel to Moscow.<\/p>\n

He said 2025 marks major anniversaries and congratulated China on \u201c80 years of victory over fascism and World War II,\u201d recalling immense sacrifices and stating, \u201cyour sacrifices were not in vain.\u201d Linking Pakistan\u2019s security narrative to the information domain, he argued Pakistan\u2019s response to Indian aggression elevated the country\u2019s regional and international profile, while warning that \u201cfake news, disinformation, misinformation\u201d now pose a strategic challenge.<\/p>\n

Citing the \u201cIndia Chronicles\u201d investigation by the Brussels-based NGO EU DisinfoLab,<\/strong><\/em> he pointed to what he described as a large-scale network of Indian disinformation outlets and urged faster response and stronger coordination against information warfare by forces \u201cnot happy with the progress of Pakistan-China relationship,\u201d which he called the \u201cpivot\u201d of Pakistan\u2019s foreign policy.<\/p>\n

He also highlighted the China\u2013Pakistan joint action plan as a five-year framework spanning seven domains, including media and people-to-people cooperation, with \u201c63 actionable points,\u201d and said 2026, the 75th anniversary of diplomatic ties, should be a milestone for deepening an \u201call-encompassing\u201d relationship.<\/p>\n

\"\"Dr. Shezra Mansab Ali Kharal, Minister of State for Climate Change and Environmental Coordination<\/strong><\/em>, shared reflections from her recent visit to China as a Dong Feng Scholar, describing it as a period in which she \u201clearned a lot\u201d and gained deeper insight into \u201cthe people of China\u201d and their growing focus on \u201cbuilding bridges.\u201d<\/p>\n

She said the presence of 50+ scholars from 50 countries of the Global South reflected China\u2019s approach to \u201ccooperate\u2026peace and development together,\u201d contrasting it with what she described as a Western \u201cconcept of confrontation or rivalry.\u201d Referring to a major commemorative parade, she highlighted China\u2019s technological strides and said the release of \u201c80,000 white doves\u201d symbolized \u201cpeaceful intentions,\u201d arguing China can defend itself but is \u201cnot hegemonic,\u201d seeking \u201cwin-win\u201d cooperation.<\/p>\n

She described Pakistan\u2013China ties as a uniquely deep \u201call-weather strategic cooperative partnership,\u201d built on \u201ctrust\u201d despite differences of language, culture, and religion, and reaffirmed mutual support on core issues, including Kashmir and the One-China policy.<\/p>\n

Looking ahead to CPEC Phase 2, she praised China\u2019s role in \u201cglobal ecological governance,\u201d called climate change an \u201cexistential issue,\u201d and proposed a practical media step: Pakistan and China should create a joint media mechanism to respond \u201cimmediately\u201d to disinformation, misinformation, and fake news.<\/p>\n

\"\"Attaullah Tarar, Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting<\/strong><\/em>, traced his long engagement with Pakistan\u2013China ties \u201cas a student, as a bureaucrat, and now as a minister,\u201d describing himself as \u201ca product\u201d of exchange programs between IDCPC and PMLN and portraying the relationship as a lived national story passed through families.<\/p>\n

He said Pakistan\u2019s bond with China is unique, asserting that while others may claim strong ties, \u201cno other country can claim that they are iron brothers or sisters.\u201d<\/p>\n

He argued CPEC links development with cultural transformation, helping \u201cbreak the barrier of language\u201d and \u201cthe barriers of division,\u201d and said it carries \u201conly a positive connotation.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"On modern communication, he highlighted reforms to build a digital footprint through platforms such as \u201cDigital Pakistan TV\u201d and expanded online outreach, emphasizing continuity so successors inherit \u201ca robust system\u2026as a strategic communication tool.\u201d He said narrative-building must evolve, warning, \u201cif you don\u2019t change with time, time will change you,\u201d and noted misinformation has been identified by global leaders as a top challenge of the age.<\/p>\n

He urged deeper media and influencer exchanges under CPEC 2.0, citing the \u201cpower that digital media has,\u201d including a viral meme he said reached \u201cbillion plus views,\u201d and called for engaging companies involved in B2B cooperation and storytelling.<\/p>\n

He recommended PCI host a dedicated fact-check forum<\/strong> or platform to label falsehoods around CPEC and provide correct facts, suggesting support from the government and the Chinese Embassy, and reaffirmed state commitment to \u201cgo the extra mile\u201d to counter negative propaganda and strengthen media cooperation in the digital realm.<\/p>\n

CPEC will continue to be a key pillar of China-Pakistan cooperation : Ambassador China @ 9th Media Forum by Pak China Institute in Islamabad<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n