CPEC Media Forum held on Wednesday in Islamabad vowed to counter disinformation collectively.
Pakistan-China Institute, in collaboration with China Economic Net and the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China, organized the 8th CPEC Media Forum in Islamabad. The forum was also virtually telecast in Beijing and the University of Gwadar. The forum featured insightful speeches by Murtaza Solangi, Caretaker Minister of Information and Broadcasting; Zhang Zaidong, Ambassador of People’s Republic of China to Pakistan; Senator Mushahid Hussain Sayed, Chairman Senate Committee on Defence & Pakistan-China Institute; Zheng Qingdong, President and Editor in chief of Economic Daily; Cui Jun, President of China Economic Net; Wu Xu, Executive Secretary of China Journalists Association; Ambassador Khalil Hashmi, Ambassador of Pakistan to China; Hamid Mir, Senior Journalist; Shiffa Yusufzai, Anchor at 92 NewsHD.
In his inaugural address, Mustafa Hyder Sayed, Executive Director of the Pakistan-China Institute (PCI), underscored the enduring consistency of the CPEC Media Forum since its initiation in 2015 as an annual gathering alternating between China and Pakistan. Emphasizing that the scope of CPEC Cooperation extends beyond ‘brick and mortar’ infrastructure projects to encompass people-to-people connectivity, he asserted that the people of China and Pakistan serve as the true custodians of this profound friendship. Furthermore, he regarded President Xi Jinping’s announcement of a $100 billion investment in the green development of Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) countries as historic.
Cui Jun, President China Economic Net read the congratulatory communication from Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs of China, Sun Weidong, about the eighth China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) Media Forum. In the conveyed message, Vice Minister Sun Weidong expressed sincere felicitations to the participants for the successful execution of the forum. Emphasizing the enduring nature of the bilateral relationship, he underscored that Pakistan and China stand as all-weather strategic partners, and the successful conclusion of a decade of CPEC serves as a testament to the profound friendship between the two nations. Vice Minister Sun Weidong highlighted significant progress achieved during the 3rd Belt and Road Forum held in Beijing in October.
In his keynote speech, Murtaza Solangi, Minister for Information and Broadcasting, emphasized the transformative impact of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) during the auspicious year of 2023. He appreciated the vital role of the media in shaping public perceptions of CPEC, urging objective reporting to counter propaganda and ensure accurate dissemination of information.
Senator Mushahid Hussain Sayed, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Defence and the Pakistan-China Institute expressed optimism by asserting that the ‘best of CPEC is yet to come as CPEC is back on track now’ with a focus Gwadar Port development, ML1 Railway project, the revival of Special Economic Zones and major developments on Agriculture.
The Senator underscored China’s pursuit of building bridges compared to the U.S.’s construction of barriers, affirming that China is aligned on the right side of history with a geoeconomic vision of connectivity via commerce and culture He said both China and Pakistan stand fully with each other in solidarity with each other’s core interests.
Jiang Zaidong, Ambassador of the People’s Republic of China to Pakistan, expressed his appreciation for the forum as a preeminent platform dedicated to promoting media cooperation & dispelling misinformation concerning the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). He reiterated China’s commitment to supporting Pakistan in safeguarding its core interests.
Zheng Qingdong, President and Editor-in-chief of Economic Daily, highlighted the significance of the tenth anniversary of the “China-Pakistan Economic Corridor” initiation, emphasising its role in strengthening the enduring friendship between the two nations. Acknowledging the challenges of the global landscape, he urged joint efforts to embrace development opportunities and promote unity.
During the forum, 8 prominent journalists were also awarded ‘5th CPEC Communication Award’, including Imran Khalid, freelance journalist; Nasir Jamal, Bureau Chief of Dawn Newspaper; Yasir Habib Khan, freelance journalist; Usman Mujib Shami, Executive Director of Daily Pakistan; Zia ul Amin, Journalist at APP Urdu; Tanveer Hashmi, Senior Report Daily Jang, Muhammad Zamir Assadi, Editor China Desk Internews Pakistan and Fawad Yusufzai, Journalist at The Nation.
