China’s Ambassador to Pakistan Nong Rong on Tuesday said China and Pakistan were facing strong media propaganda and disinformation, so media on both sides should work to promote truth, justice, and fairness and become a positive force for regional peace and stability.
He was speaking at the First China-Pakistan Media Forum held with the thematic objective of “strengthening China Pakistan relations through informed dialogue” under the auspices of the Institute of Peace and Diplomatic Studies (IPDS) in Islamabad.
The Ambassador said some external forces are trying to undermine the development of China and Pakistan systematically.
He said China had launched an Urdu media service to promote the understanding of Chinese and Urdu languages.
Ambassador Nong also proposed ways to strengthen Pak-China media collaboration.
Speaking on the occasion, the Ambassador of Pakistan to China Moin-ul-Haque said that media is not just the source of information in this digital age, it also influences public opinions and international relations. He said the technological evolution and developments in the geopolitical arena have rendered the role of media very important in shaping narratives.
During the forum, Chinese and Pakistani media pledged to counter negative propaganda through enhanced communications and stronger linkages by creating the “China-Pakistan Media Corridor”.
In his speech, Faisal Javed Khan, Chairman, Senate Standing Committee on Information and Broadcasting, said that while there are continuous attempts to jeopardize the Pak-China relationship and impede CPEC construction through fake news and propaganda, media from both Pakistan and China will counter these ill-intentioned narratives and reframe them more efficiently for better relations building.
Prof. Zhou Rong, Senior Fellow of Chongyang Institute for Financial Studies of Renmin University of China (RUC), said that Chinese media need to showcase what Pakistan has been doing against terrorism and for peace and stability in Afghanistan. He believed that the CPEC project should be advertised by media groups of both countries.
Farhat Asif, Founder of IPDS, said in her opening remarks that the China Pakistan Media Forum strengthens the bond not only in the news but other important ways of communications, including films, drama, TV, travel guides, translations, and other services.
Sultana Siddiqui, President of Hum Network, Scarlet Xiang, Chairperson, St.Fulin Group, Wang Qianting, Senior journalist, Urdu Service of China Media Group, and Ke Ye, Editor-in-Chief of In Zhejiang Media Group also attended and addressed the forum.
