By Yasir Habib Khan 

 

ISLAMABAD, Dec. 28 (China Ecomonic Net)- Gala event of 6th CPEC Media Forum themed on “Post-epidemic China-Pakistan Media Cooperation” was held both offline and online, along with the awarding ceremony of the annual “China-Pakistan Economic Corridor Golden Anchor Award” with high-spirit and enthusiasm.  

 

The forum debated in-depth discussions on the opportunities for digital media, media as an engine for the high-quality development of CPEC and China-Pakistan media cooperation. The Chinese and Pakistani media have fostered positive interactions by focusing on the mutual trust and mutual support between the two countries and the high-quality development of CPEC. This has helped strengthen friendship and combat rumors. It is noted that underpinned by faster spreading speed, wider coverage, and stronger interactive nature, the new media, which is characterized by 5G live streaming and short videos, has exerted a more profound influence during the epidemic. In the digital economy, the deep integration of blockchain, 5G, AI and media industries opens up more possibilities for innovative forms of media cooperation between China and Pakistan. 

 

Moderated by Zoon Ahmed Khan, research fellow, Belt and Road Strategy Initiative at Tsinghua University, the forum included key note speakers as Muhammad Sadiq Sanjrani, Chairman Senate of Pakistan, Mr Nong Rong, Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan, Senator Azam Khan Swati, Federal Minister for Railways, Mr. Muhammad Jahanzeb Khan, Deputy Chairman Planning Commission, Senator Mushahid Hussain Sayed, Chairman, Senate Foreign Affairs Committee and Pakistan-China Institute, Mr. Moin ul Haque, Pakistani Ambassador to China, Mr. Mudassir Tipu, Director-General (China), Ministry of Foreign Affairs Pakistan, Mustafa Hyder Sayed, Executive Director, Pakistan-China Institute, Zheng Qingdong, President and Editor-in-Chief of Economic Daily, Mr. Tian Yuhong, Executive Secretary of the All-China Journalists Association, NI Siyi, Deputy Director, Office of Editor-in-Chief, Xinhua News Agency, Zhao Qiao, Director, Department of Urdu, CMG Asian & African Languages Center, CCTV.  

 

The CPEC Media Forum, hosted by the Chinese Embassy in Pakistan and organized by China Economic Net and Pakistan-China Institute, has been held for five consecutive years.  

 

On the occasion, Senate Chairman Muhammad Sadiq Sanjrani said that after successful five CPEC Media Forums in last five years, 6th CPEC Media Forum will bear desirable results. He congratulated PCI, Chinese embassy and CEN for conducting the forum in befitting manner. He thanked China for sharing its experiences of development saying this becomes a source of guidance for policy makers in Pakistan. “Media played a vital role in disseminating facts on CPEC and due to which CPEC has been becoming household name in Pakistan,” he opined.   

 

“The 6th CPEC Media Forum event will help improve existing Pak-China all weather friendship. Exchange of news and journalist interactions between China and Pakistan is need of hour which will take our diplomatic, social and economic relations to new heights.”    

 

He said “Pakistan extended medical and moral support to China when Covid-19 spread and intensified in China. Senate passed resolution which acknowledged Chinese vision to tackle and control the Pandemic. Especially what it did in providing assistance to Pakistani students in Wuhan is highly commendable. Senate resolution also commended Chinese courage and measures. China also provided medial aid and other required stuff in helping Pakistan to fight Covid-19,” “Preparation for 10 joint coordination committee of CPEC is in full swing. As Pakistan China cooperation to proceed to greater depth, Senate of Pakistan will play its anchoring role in extending all out assistance to media of both countries to develop greater understanding of issues of common interests and synergic cooperation,” he added.   

 

Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan Mr Nong Rong prayed for big success to the forum and said this forum had provided an opportunity for online gathering to discuss and brainstorm suggestions for the BRI and CPEC.  

 

“Media as the expositor, promoter and disseminator of CPEC, plays a unique and important role. In recent years, China and Pakistan have created a series of mechanisms and platforms for cultural and media cooperation. Under the framework of the Joint Cooperation Committee of CPEC, a joint working group on international cooperation and coordination has been set up to encourage the media and think tanks of the two countries to strengthen cooperation and provide intellectual support for the construction of CPEC. It has just concluded the second meeting last Friday. Both sides agreed to encourage media, film industry, and publishing industry to enhance the CPEC-related cooperation, and welcome think tanks, experts and academia to strengthen the exchanges bilaterally and multilaterally in this regard,” he added.   

 

“Since its inception in 2015, CPEC Media Forum has brought together the governments, business communities, media, think tanks and other sectors of China and Pakistan to focus on the construction of CPEC, tell stories of China-Pakistan cooperation, and spread the spirit of mutual support, openness, equality, mutual benefit and win-win cooperation, making important contribution to promoting the heart to heart exchanges of the two peoples and economic and social development of China and Pakistan.”  

 

“After the entry into force of the second phase of CPFTA this year, the proportion of zero-tariff products between the two countries has increased to 75%. This is conducive to Pakistan’s expansion of exports to China, promoting economic recovery and resolving the issue of trade imbalance in the course of development,” he added.  

 

Pakistan Ambassador to China, Moin ul Haque said that it was imperative for media organizations and opinion-makers of China and Pakistan to devise a concerted and sustained media strategy to expose ill intentions of adversaries and highlight success and significance of China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). 

 

He said “the media houses of the two countries should galvanise public support for our bilateral relations, educate the masses about the historic significance of bilateral friendship and its strategic importance for both countries.” 

 

“No media strategy is successful without stirring hearts of our peoples to the symphony of friendship,” he added. 

 

Ambassador Haque said that the media should also help expand bilateral cultural linkages and people-to-people ties. “Special media campaigns to advance our historical experiences, common Asian values, and cultural affinities should be initiated,” he added. 

 

He said that as arts and drama are the best reflections of a nation’s philosophy and culture, the entertainment industries of two countries should forge strong linkages and promote our dramas, movies, and music. Finally, he said that Pakistan and China will be celebrating the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between the two countries next year. Next year also marks the centennial of the Communist Party of China. “So media houses of the two countries should organize special programs, documentaries, and seminars to celebrate this important milestone and renew our resolve to take our ties to new heights. Pakistan Embassy in China and the Chinese Embassy in Pakistan are ready to help you,” he added. 

 

“In the meeting, we ensured that CPEC remains open, transparent, and inclusive, therefore the two countries have decided and agreed to open up CPEC to 3rd party participation,” he added. As Prime Minister Imran Khan said that the future of Pakistan and China is co-related, so the relationship has been sustained by successive governments and generations of people. 

 

Senator Mushahid Hussain Sayed, Chairman, Senate Foreign Affairs Committee and Pakistan China Institute commended the resilience of CPEC which progressed with full speed and vigor during COVID-19. He said that not a single Pakistani working on CPEC sites was laid off. While commenting on the recently held meeting on Joint Working Group on international coordination, he said that there will be an increased focus on media and think tank collaboration to take CPEC forward. The meeting also welcomed third party participation in CPEC. Moreover, he highlighted three objectives of conducting CPEC media forum. Firstly, it is aimed to promote and strengthen the all-weather strategic partnership between Pakistan and China. CPEC is part of BRI which is the biggest developmental and diplomatic initiative of the 21st Century. Secondly, it aims to counter the propaganda against CPEC with facts. This type of media cooperation will create synergies and energize both sides to come up with facts needed to shape positive public opinion on CPEC. Thirdly, it aims to highlight CPEC developments to the media and the general public. In this way, the forum is acting as a ‘Force Multiplier’ in taking this friendship forward.  

 

Zheng Qingdong, President and Editor in Chief of China Economic Daily said “In 2015, during Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit to Pakistan, leaders of the two countries reached a consensus on enhancing media exchanges, and the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor Media Forum came into being. After six years, the forum has become the most influential media exchange event of the two countries.”  “In the face of an increasingly complex international environment, the media of China and Pakistan should proactively step up cooperation and assume due responsibilities. Second, in the face of the growing conflicts in public opinion, the media of China and Pakistan should take joint actions and form synergy in firmly opposing the negative propaganda against CPEC. We should respond to public questions and clarify rumors. During Media forum held in Beijing, the two sides jointly established the CPEC Rapid Response Network foir public opinion. Over the past two years and more, it has played a positive role in responding to public opinion and upholding CPEC.

 

He said that “Facing the accelerating technology revolutions, media of China and Pakistan should learn from each other to achieve common progress. We’d like to further the all-round new media cooperation with Pakistan, by sharing the benefits from communication revolution driven by 5G and other technologies, exploring the application of blockchain, cloud computing, and other cutting-edge technologies in media, and enhancing the exchanges and communications of our media personnel both online and offline, after the pandemic ends.” 

 

Mr. Tian Yuhong, Executive Secretary of the All-China Journalists Association said that CPEC is a symbol of attachment between Pakistan and China and even a global pandemic like COVID-19 could not stop the progress of projects under its umbrella. He said that news exchange and cooperation is an important factor to promote the healthy development of bilateral relations and smooth implementation of CPEC projects. Under the BRI framework, All-China Journalists Association has established close cooperative relations with several journalist organizations, including the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists, All Pakistan Journalists Association, and All Pakistan Newspapers Society. Moreover, he said that in the face of COVID-19, the common enemy of mankind, the media of China and Pakistan help each other with a common mission.

 

Mr. NI Siyi, Deputy Director, Office of Editor-in chief, Xinhua News Agency said that since the launch of CPEC, there has been close cooperation between the media houses of both countries, When Prime Minister Imran Khan visited China in October 2019, INP and Xinhua news signed an agreement to take this cooperation to next level. He called for airing more stories on CPEC which evoke people's engagement. Moreover, he said that the media of both countries need to highlight the importance of the 70th anniversary of Pak-China diplomatic relations in 2021. 

 

Mr. Muhammad Jahanzeb Khan, Deputy Chairman Planning Commission gave a  very comprehensive presentation on CPEC Phase two. He said that CPEC is a multilayered project. In the first phase which ended in 2020, the focus was on improving infrastructure and solving the issue of energy. In the second phase which will end in 2025, processing and manufacturing industries will be developed and efforts will be made to ensure improvement in people’s livelihoods and balancing regional economic development. In the third phase (2025-2030) also called the period of maturity, the indigenous mechanism for sustainable economic growth will be in place and CPEC will be ready to play a leadership role in the region.  

 

Ms. Zhao Qiao, Director, Department of Urdu, Asian & African Center, China Media Group said that the media of both countries fought misinformation regarding Pakistani students in Wuhan during COVID-19 by interviewing them and communicating the true perspective. She called for enhanced media ties between the two brotherly countries and said that steps should be taken at the governmental level to increase people-to-people exchanges between Pakistan and China.  

 

Senator Azam Khan Swati, Federal Minister for Railways highlighted the importance of the ML-1 project and said that it would transform the socioeconomic fate of Pakistan and the whole region by giving a boost to connectivity. This project, he said will create employment opportunities for the locals and improve the logistics infrastructure in the country. Moreover, he thanked China for standing with Pakistan through thick and thin and said that in the coming days, this cooperation would be diversified and made more comprehensive. He said ML-1 would cover 80% of Pakistani territory and 78% of the population of Pakistan.

 

Mr. Mudassir Tipu Director-General (China), Ministry of Foreign Affairs Pakistan termed CPEC as a transformational and consensus-oriented project. He said that COVID-19 cooperation between Pakistan and China has been exemplary. He also appreciated the Chinese Communist Party for extending full support to Pakistan during the pandemic. Moreover, he also called for closer cooperation between the media of both countries .

 

After speeches, an award ceremony was held in which seven journalists were conferred with “CPEC Communication Award”. Those seven journalists were; Muhammad Asghar, correspondent of Associated Press of Pakistan in Beijing; Naveed Hussain, Editor(Print & Digital) Express Tribune, Shafqat Ali, Special correspondent of The Nation, Liu Chang, Journalist of China Media Group Pakistan Bureau, Tariq Sumair, Editor of INP, Amir Ghauri, Editor of The News, Sultan Hali, Columnist, writer, and author of book on China.