ISLAMABAD: Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan Jiang Zaidong on Tuesday acknowledged the media’s role in countering disinformation surrounding the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), saying journalists confronted false narratives with facts.

Ambassador Jiang, while addressing the 9th Cpec Media Forum in Islamabad, commended the media’s role in countering distortions and noted that there are “two powers in the world, a sword and a pen.”

He said journalists had turned the pen into a sword by countering claims with facts.

The forum was organised by the Pakistan-China Institute (PCI) in collaboration with China Economic Net and the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China, bringing together senior Pakistani and Chinese officials, diplomats, media representatives and executives of Chinese enterprises to strengthen media cooperation around CPEC-II.

Fake news and disinformation have long posed a challenge to CPEC, with critics portraying the multi-billion-dollar initiative as opaque or destabilising. Both Islamabad and Beijing reject this view, saying it is a narrative aimed at undermining bilateral cooperation.

Jiang also reiterated China’s position on Taiwan, thanking Pakistan for its consistent diplomatic support. He said China “cannot tolerate any person or any force who seeks to split Taiwan from China,” and expressed appreciation for Pakistan’s “firm commitment” to the one-China principle and its support for safeguarding China’s sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity. He asserted that no force could separate Taiwan from China.

Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar said CPEC goes beyond infrastructure by linking development with cultural transformation. He said the project helps “break the barrier of language” and “the barriers of division,” adding that it carries “only a positive connotation.”

Tarar said misinformation has been identified by global leaders as one of the most serious challenges of the modern age.

He called for deeper media and influencer exchanges under CPEC-II, citing the “power that digital media has,” including a viral meme he said reached “billion-plus views.” He also urged greater engagement with companies involved in business-to-business cooperation to help tell the CPEC story.

The information minister proposed establishing a dedicated fact-checking forum or platform to flag falsehoods about CPEC and provide verified information, suggesting support from both the Pakistani government and the Chinese embassy.

He reaffirmed the state’s commitment to “go the extra mile” to counter negative propaganda and strengthen media cooperation in the digital space. — Staff Reporter

Senator Mushahid Hussain Sayed, chairman of the Pakistan-China Institute, warned that “fake news, disinformation and misinformation” have evolved into a strategic challenge. Referring to the “India Chronicles” investigation by Brussels-based NGO EU DisinfoLab, he cited what he described as a large-scale network of Indian disinformation outlets.

He called for faster responses and stronger coordination against information warfare by forces “not happy with the progress of the Pakistan-China relationship,” which he described as the “pivot” of Pakistan’s foreign policy.

Opening the forum, PCI Executive Director Mustafa Hyder Sayed said its core purpose was to “shape the narrative” around CPEC, specifically one “rooted in facts” and grounded in “exemplary Pakistan–China cooperation.” He said the ninth edition of the forum held “special significance” following the announcement of CPEC-II amid rapidly expanding bilateral cooperation.

Published in Dawn, December 25th, 2025