Pakistan, China launch information corridor as ties mark 75 years

Pakistan and China formally launched a China-Pakistan Information Corridor in Islamabad on Tuesday, an initiative officials say will expand media cooperation, improve information exchange and coordinate efforts against misinformation, as the two countries mark 75 years of diplomatic relations.

Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar, Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan Jiang Zaidong, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning and other senior officials attended the ceremony, according to Aaj News.

Express News reported that Mao Ning arrived in Pakistan with a high-level delegation that included officials from China's information and foreign ministries, and was received at the airport by Ambassador Jiang, embassy staff and Pakistani officials. The outlet said she would be chief guest at a special event at the Pakistan-China Friendship Centre, would visit the foreign ministry and meet Foreign Office spokesperson Sajjad Haider Khan, with a meeting with Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar also expected. The spokespersons of the two foreign ministries were to hold consultations, it said.

The two reports differed on timing. Aaj News reported that the corridor had been formally launched at the ceremony, while Express News, in an earlier report, said the launch would take place at an evening event.

Speaking at the ceremony, Tarar said the corridor would serve as a bridge between the people of Pakistan and China and would bring them closer through media, information exchange and digital platforms. He said the two countries' friendship had emerged stronger from every test and described the relationship as an example of an "iron brothers" bond, adding that it should be further strengthened through digital platforms and that CPEC had opened new paths to development through energy projects.

Ambassador Jiang congratulated the two sides on the launch, saying it would help information exchange and a better understanding of each other's culture and traditions. He expressed the hope that the project would help counter misleading information about the two countries and narrow distances between their people.

According to officials, the corridor will promote cooperation in media, business and research institutions as well as in culture, tourism and youth affairs. It will also focus on getting verified information about the long-standing friendship and cooperation in various fields to the public, they said.

The launch is part of the programme marking 75 years since the establishment of diplomatic ties between Pakistan and China.