Islamabad (GNP): Pakistan and China have inaugurated the China Pakistan Information Corridor, a new initiative under the second phase of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC 2.0). It is meant to deepen cooperation in media, counter misinformation and widen business, research and cultural exchanges.
The ceremony took place in Islamabad. Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Mao Ning, Information and Broadcasting Minister Atta Tarar, Foreign Office Spokesperson Sajjad Haider Khan and Chinese Ambassador Jiang Zedong were among those present. To mark the launch, the participants placed their hands together on the corridor’s logo.
The project aims to link the two countries more closely in media, fact-checking, business, research and culture, and to build public understanding and engagement.
Mao Ning said the relationship has grown from friendship into a robust strategic partnership, and pointed to the positive effect CPEC has had on people’s lives in both countries. She named fake news and misinformation as major problems in today’s information environment and said the corridor will help the two sides respond to them together. Comparing it to the Karakoram Highway, she described it as part of an effort to build a digital highway between the two nations.
Tarar called the friendship a valuable legacy that each generation preserves and hands on. He said a formal secretariat has been set up for the corridor to support the exchange of information, ideas and perspectives. Where CPEC links the two economies, he explained, the Information Corridor is intended to bring their peoples closer through communication and shared understanding.
He said the initiative rests on four pillars:
- Media and fact-checking: closer information cooperation and efforts to tackle misinformation
- Business cooperation: links between enterprises in both countries
- Think tanks and research: knowledge-sharing and intellectual exchange
- Culture, tourism and youth: wider people-to-people engagement
Tarar also spoke about Pakistan’s digital transformation under Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s Digital Pakistan vision, including work to grow the digital economy. He added that, despite shifts in global circumstances and alliances over seven decades, Pakistan-China friendship has stayed constant.
Ambassador Jiang Zedong stressed that bilateral cooperation should become more effective and deliver practical results for both peoples. He said China has continued to share its development experience with Pakistan and called the corridor an important platform for expanding that cooperation. It is expected to create more opportunities for information exchange and engagement between institutions and communities in both countries.
The ceremony closed with traditional performances by Pakistani and Chinese artists, which were well received.
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The corridor is intended to complement the economic links of CPEC 2.0 with stronger information ties, public diplomacy and people-to-people exchange.
Sohail Majeed is a Special Correspondent at The Diplomatic Insight. He has twelve plus years of experience in journalism & reporting. He covers International Affairs, Diplomacy, UN, Sports, Climate Change, Economy, Technology, and Health.
