Media crucial for promoting CPEC: Chinese diplomat

ISLAMABAD: Chinese Embassy Charge d’Affaires Shi Yuanqiang has said media plays a vital role in highlighting bilateral relations and projects under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).

He made the remarks while addressing a “Capacity Building Workshop for Journalists and Social Media Influencers from Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on CPEC Reporting and Media Ethics,” organized by the Center for Democracy and Climate Studies (CDCS) in collaboration with the Chinese Embassy.

Shi Yuanqiang said China and Pakistan are “all-weather strategic partners and iron-clad friends.” Wang Shengjie, Counsellor at the Chinese Embassy, added that media serves as a bridge to strengthen cultural exchanges and improve public understanding of China.

He urged journalists and influencers to use their platforms responsibly, acting as communicators of China-related news and leaders of public opinion to promote people-to-people amity between the two countries.

The participants appreciated the initiative, noting it enhanced professional skills and promoted accurate narratives about Pakistan-China ties.

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Dr. Furqan Rao, Executive Director of CDCS, said factual reporting is essential for communicating projects under CPEC. At the closing ceremony, Pakistan-China Institute Executive Director Mustafa Hyder Sayed stressed the importance of people-to-people linkages, while former National Press Club president Shakeel Qarar encouraged young journalists to uphold professionalism.

Senior journalists, diplomats, and academics, including defense analyst Amir Rana, former ambassador to China Moin ul Haque, and senior journalists Sohail Iqbal Bhatti, Hamayun Khan, Anas Mallick, Aamir Ilyas Rana, Javed Iqbal, and Dr. Arif from NUST, led sessions on fact-checking, media safety, and tackling misinformation.

Certificates were distributed to the participating journalists by the Chief Guest, Mustafa Hyder Sayed, and the Guest of Honor, former president of the National Press Club, Shakeel Qarar.