Pakistan and China have launched a new project called the China-Pakistan Information Corridor, or CPIC. At a launch ceremony in Islamabad on Tuesday, Information Minister Ataullah Tarar said it will focus on countering misleading stories, sharing culture, and bringing think tanks from both countries together.
Who Was There
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning and Chinese Ambassador Jiang Zaidong attended the ceremony. Tarar said he had wanted for a long time to work with China on media, information sharing, and digital platforms.
What Is CPIC?
Tarar linked the new project to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), the large group of roads, power projects, and port work in Pakistan. He said CPEC connected lands, and now CPIC will connect minds. In his words: “If CPEC is its body and the shared future, CPIC will be its voice.” He called CPIC a “digital corridor” that uses news exchanges, fact-checking, trade portals, podcasts, and social media.
The Four Pillars
| Pillar | What It Will Do |
|---|---|
| Media | A news exchange group of 18 Pakistani and Chinese media organisations, including state broadcasters, private channels, Xinhua, CMG, and People’s Daily, will share verified news about the two countries’ cooperation. It will also have a fact-check system to track misleading stories and answer them with facts |
| Business | This pillar has opened its first regional office in Karachi. A trade portal to track trade, investment, and foreign direct investment is being built, along with a podcast about Chinese entrepreneurs in Pakistan and Pakistani entrepreneurs in China |
| Think tanks | Led by the Pakistan-China Institute, it will bring joint talks, research, and publications with Chinese partners |
| Culture and tourism | Tarar called this the “heart of the corridor.” Work has started on a tourism route linking Xinjiang with Gilgit-Baltistan, to bring more Chinese travellers to northern Pakistan |
Youth Ambassadors
Tarar also said the first group of CPEC Youth Ambassadors has been picked from 13 universities across Pakistan. He said more than 68 per cent of Pakistanis are under 30, and he described young people as the main reason Pakistan is joining the digital economy.
What China Said
According to state broadcaster Pakistan TV, Mao Ning said both China and Pakistan keep facing misinformation and fake news. She said the corridor’s four pillars can help show the results of the two countries’ cooperation. Tarar invited Chinese media groups, think tanks, universities, businesses, and young ambassadors to join each pillar.
Some Questions Still Open
The report on the launch did not give examples of the “misleading narratives” the project will answer. It also did not say who will decide what counts as misleading, how much money the project has, or how long the first phase will take. The media group includes state broadcasters and state-owned Chinese outlets, so it is likely to reflect the views of both governments. Those details will matter in the months ahead.
The Bigger Picture
Pakistan and China have a long, close partnership that covers trade, energy, defence, and roads. A day before the launch, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar met Ambassador Zaidong to review progress on CPEC. They talked about trade, investment, connections between regions, farming, and exchanges between people.
Final Thoughts
CPIC takes the Pakistan-China partnership beyond roads and power plants and into news, business information, research, and travel. Its success will depend on whether it truly helps ordinary people in both countries learn more about each other, and on how clearly it explains what it counts as a misleading story.
