Written by: Staff Report
Posted on: November 20, 2018 | 
| 中文
The 4th CPEC Media Forum
The China Economic Net (CEN) and the Pakistan-China Institute (PCI), in collaboration with the Chinese Embassy in Islamabad, jointly organized the 4th CPEC Media Forum, in Beijing. The purpose of the forum was to disseminate factual information on the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), to devise a joint Pakistan-China strategy and counter negative perceptions that are generated by vested interests and detractors in the region. The event was in the spirit of strengthening people to people bonds through developing a reliable and authentic information exchange system between media of the two countries. A 12-member delegation took part in the event, led by Senator Mushahid Hussain, Chairman PCI and Chairman Senate Foreign Affairs Committee.
The Ambassador of Pakistan to China, Masood Khalid gave his opening remarks, where he talked about the stance of the new government on the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), after the conclusion of the Prime Minister’s visit to China. “During the visit of the Prime Minister to China, there were four very important achievements. Both countries have expressed satisfaction with progress of CPEC, both sides are committed to completing the ongoing projects of CPEC, as well as create employment, enhance people’s welfare and promote industrial development. The two sides also agreed to promote the construction of CPEC in the future by taking it to the next phase, which will be decided at the upcoming meeting of the Joint Coordination Committee (JCC) of CPEC in Beijing next month, and both sides also agreed to create a social economic development working group apart from a political working group through the two Foreign Ministries.” The Ambassador also emphasized the role of media in disseminating accurate information on CPEC and said that there should be more media interaction between the two countries. “We need to guard BRI and CPEC against the growing negativity of its detractors.”
Senator Mushahid Hussain, Chairman of PCI and Senate Foreign Affairs Committee, talking about China’s peaceful rise, said that there is a shift in the global economic and political power from the West to the East, and China’s peaceful rise and amazing development is an important inspiration for developing countries. The BRI has now spawned a “Greater South Asia comprising of South Asia, Central Asia, China, Iran and Afghanistan driven by economy and energy. The One Belt, One Road is opening doors to a new world with CPEC as its success story, since it is the flagship and pilot project of the BRI. Gwadar Port, centrepiece of CPEC, is now a very active functional port and it is opening up the entire region, not just Pakistan.” He also lauded CPEC’s role, as an ‘irreversible, mutually beneficial strategic project which has national consensus.’
Former Information Minister Senator Pervez Rashid urged the need to counter terrorism and extremism to create a conducive environment for promotion of CPEC. Dr Shezra Mansab Ali Kharal, ex-MNA, spoke about the role of women in CPEC, including employment and empowerment of women in Thar, where women work as truck drivers.
After the speeches in the opening session, an award ceremony was held titled, “CPEC Communication Golden Anchor Awards,” with winners from all around Pakistan, awarded by Ambassador Masood Khalid for best reporting on CPEC, both in Pakistan and China.
PCI also announced the Rapid Response Information-Exchange Network (RRIN), in collaboration with CEN, using a 3-Cs approach: counter negativity, compare Chinese assistance and CPEC with others since on CPEC there are no political strings attached, and connect the Pakistani and Chinese media. This network will use the increased role of media in disseminating facts and accurate, updated information on CPEC.
Addressing the session on “The Way Forward,” Mustafa Hyder Sayed, Executive Director, Pakistan-China Institute, termed the CPEC Media Forum as a ‘shining example of Pakistan-China Media Cooperation.’ The event concluded with sessions on “CPEC and Pakistan-China Media Cooperation,” “Strengthening Information Exchange between China and Pakistan Media,” and “Facts-Based Construction of Narratives on BRI and CPEC,” where media personnel from both Pakistan and China gave their input on increasing collaboration between the two countries for greater people to people connectivity and information exchange. The event featured a discussion on the importance of learning each other’s language, to better understand histories and cultures of the two countries, to dispel misunderstandings that are exacerbated by gaps in information and language barriers.
The event had representation of senior journalists from print, electronic and digital media, the government and Communist Party of China officials, parliamentarians, academia and students.
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