Xinhua begins Pakistan language service to push Belt and Road

[Ritual]

KARACHI -- China's state news agency Xinhua has launched Urdu service in Pakistan to promote cooperation with local media, ostensibly to counter criticism against the major projects under the Belt and Road Initiatives in the country, known as China-Pakistan Economic Corridor.

Urdu is the national language of Pakistan and the dominant media market segment.

A ceremony was held in Islamabad on Dec. 26, where memorandums of understanding were signed between Xinhua and over a dozen local media houses. Under the agreement, Xinhua will provide news services to Pakistani news agencies in both English and Urdu. Xinhua already has an English and now it has launched the Urdu service to target the Urdu audience.


People in Pakistan will see news content from Xinhua via local media.

Addressing the Xinhua launch ceremony, Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Information and Broadcasting Firdous Ashiq Awan said that media cooperation between Pakistani and Chinese media is necessary to counter negative propaganda against projects under CPEC.

The launch of Xinhua's Urdu service follows the 5th China-Pakistan Media Forum, held in Islamabad in November. The forum comprises journalists from Pakistan and China and is organized by the Chinese embassy in Pakistan and the Pakistan-China Institute, a non-governmental think-tank. Participants of the meeting chose to use the platform to counter negative propaganda against the corridor, according to news reports published in several Pakistani newspapers citing China Economic Net.

This development comes in the aftermath of the critical attack on Belt and Road by U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for South Asia Alice Wells. Michael Kugelman, deputy director of the Asia Program at Wilson Center, agreed with the assertion. He believes that Wells' speech in November shook up many people in Islamabad and Beijing. "Both capitals have now concluded that they need to make a course correction in terms of public messaging in Pakistan about CPEC, to ensure it pushes back more robustly against dissenting views," he told the Nikkei Asian Review.

Beijing's ambassador to Pakistan Yao Jing also welcomed the cooperation agreement between Xinhua and Pakistani news agencies. He praised Pakistani media for largely defending the corridor.

He also pointed out that "some isolated voices under the influence of the Western countries' propaganda" played a negative role in terms of criticizing CPEC.

The launch of Xinhua's Urdu service, coupled with the decisions of the 5th China-Pakistan Media Forum, is being perceived by experts as a media strategy to control growing criticism of CPEC, the Pakistan component of Beijing's grand Belt and Road project.


Kugelman believes it is already difficult to offer dissenting views on CPEC in public forums in Pakistan, so efforts to control the narrative have already enjoyed significant success. "Few media outlets in Pakistan have been critical of CPEC since the project was launched," he said.

Malik Siraj Akbar, a former journalist and currently an analyst based in Washington, believes that CPEC has serious loopholes that require a national debate but the Pakistan government has discouraged criticism on the mega project. The media has an important role in asking for more clarity and transparency, and it is not wise to counter the critical views, he said.

Experts doubt the effectiveness of the launch of Xinhua Urdu service in Pakistan or the creation of Pakistan-China media forums because criticism is mainly expressed on foreign media and social media.

Kugelman said, "The use of Xinhua [Urdu Service] will restrict dissenting views on CPEC in Pakistan even more, though this won't stop Pakistani critics from continuing to express themselves on social media or in media outlets outside of Pakistan."

In Pakistan, social media in general and Twitter, in particular, have been used to criticize different aspects of CPEC over the last three years. The criticism on Twitter has also prompted an aggressive response from the Chinese diplomats -- most notably Lijian Zhao, Beijing's former Deputy Ambassador to Islamabad -- who have wasted no time in calling out the critics and rejecting the criticism.

Akbar told Nikkei that Pakistan has a robust social media community, which has been shaping an alternative narrative on the corridor projects. Despite repeated efforts, the government has not been able to fully silence dissenting voices on social media, he explained.

"As we see an end to traditional media's monopoly over the domain of shaping public opinion and the rise of social media, Chinese investment in the media landscape will not fully succeed in thwarting criticism and suspicion of CPEC," Akbar added.

The arrival of Xinhua in Pakistan benefits the country's media industry, which is shrinking due to the financial crisis.


https://asia.nikkei.com/Spotlight/B...kistan-language-service-to-push-Belt-and-Road

Great development however Nikkei is usually anti-China & CPEC so should be taken with a pinch of salt

 

[maximuswarrior]

The majority of the people of Pakistan fully support CPEC along with the Pak armed forces and the government. That is all that matters at the end of the day.

The US and few Twitter puppets cannot change this reality.

This is sheer frustration by the Americans and other CPEC haters. It is irrelevant.

The introduction of Xinhua in Pakistan is awesome.

 

[Foxtrot Delta]

Good but English would have been sufficient too.

 

[maximuswarrior]

Good but English would have been sufficient too.

Urdu is very important. Not all Pakistanis speak fluent English.

 

[ZeEa5KPul]

Nice! Nice! Nice!

 

[Ritual]

Good but English would have been sufficient too.

No, because Xinhua already has an English channel I believe, so this will focus just on Pakistani issues. And hopefully it will have an influence on our pathetic news channels who just focus on sensationalism and silly debates every day without showing any good documentaries or educational stuff like most news channels in other countries do

 

[Itachi]

PTV should be launched into China too under Chinese & English languages. The move should be reciprocated.

 

[Pakhtoon yum]

And what of PTV in Beijing, in mandarin? Will the commies be down for that? Otherwise this should be shut down

 

[Ritual]

And what of PTV in Beijing, in mandarin? Will the commies be down for that? Otherwise this should be shut down

But our media is a joke, why would we want to export that, at least our media channels could learn to compete and become more professional. At the moment they can’t even create a narrative against Indian sponsored terror like theirs do against us - PTV Geo just have gossip and sensationalist stuff.

PTV should be launched into China too under Chinese & English languages. The move should be reciprocated.

 

[Itachi]

But our media is a joke

That's your personal opinion. Similar things can be said about Xinhua, whose job is to spread CCP propaganda/point of view, not actual news reporting.

At the moment they can’t even create a narrative against Indian sponsored terror like theirs do against us - PTV Geo just have gossip and sensationalist stuff.

That's the problem of the State. Lack of funding & insight into the workings the next gen of warfare/hybrid warfare.

All I'm saying is for PTV, not Geo or other private TV channels, to be opened up into China.

And what of PTV in Beijing, in mandarin? Will the commies be down for that? Otherwise this should be shut down

Let's see if they're ok what that. If not then daal main kuch kala hai.

 

[Microsoft]

That's your personal opinion. Similar things can be said about Xinhua, whose job is to spread CCP propaganda/point of view, not actual news reporting.

Do you feel similarly about VoA and/or BBC and their companions?

 

[Itachi]

Do you feel similarly about VoA and/or BBC and their companions?

All news channels spread half truths and half lies. No one tells the truth.

But, at least some have the audacity to go against the narrative of their home governments. We know VoA to be CIA funded....not US govt. funded like Xinhua (CCP funded)...

Does that settle the matter?

 

[Pakhtoon yum]

That's your personal opinion. Similar things can be said about Xinhua, whose job is to spread CCP propaganda/point of view, not actual news reporting.



That's the problem of the State. Lack of funding & insight into the workings the next gen of warfare/hybrid warfare.

All I'm saying is for PTV, not Geo or other private TV channels, to be opened up into China.



Let's see if they're ok what that. If not then daal main kuch kala hai.

I can see PTV anchors bashing poo the bear. I mean Xi and his grand daddy.

But our media is a joke, why would we want to export that, at least our media channels could learn to compete and become more professional. At the moment they can’t even create a narrative against Indian sponsored terror like theirs do against us - PTV Geo just have gossip and sensationalist stuff.

Their media is a commie mouth peice, you dont think that's a joke?

 

[Microsoft]

All news channels spread half truths and half lies. No one tells the truth.

But, at least some have the audacity to go against the narrative of their home governments. We know VoA to be CIA funded....not US govt. funded like Xinhua (CCP funded)...

Does that settle the matter?

Not really there's a simple answer and you're beating around the bush. I think if there are foreign countries with their propaganda then other countries should be allowed to have a chance to defend themselves.

In case you're wondering I think all countries should be allowed or none.

 

[Itachi]

Not really there's a simple answer and you're beating around the bush. I think if there are foreign countries with their propaganda then other countries should be allowed to have a chance to defend themselves.

In case you're wondering I think all countries should be allowed or none.

I'm not beating around the bush. I gave a very simple answer. Please read it again:

All news channels spread half truths and half lies. No one tells the truth.

But, at least some have the audacity to go against the narrative of their home governments. We know VoA to be CIA funded....not US govt. funded like Xinhua (CCP funded)...

Does that settle the matter?

You should also read the article again:

China's state news agency Xinhua has launched Urdu service in Pakistan to promote cooperation with local media, ostensibly to counter criticism against the major projects under the Belt and Road Initiatives

This isn't a goodwill gesture but a power move. CCP felt that the Pakistani govt. wasn't countering "criticism" of CPEC so they thought to open up their own mouthpiece directly into Pakistan.

Now, did I ever say they had no right to do that?? I'm all for freedom of speech & religion.

But the matter is.....will the Chinese allow PTV to be opened up in China and say whatever they want to??

Your focus should be on the last question....because that is where you'll see what your (Pakistan and its residents) actual worth is to China.

I can see PTV anchors bashing poo the bear. I mean Xi and his grand daddy.

Glad you can say that....I fear the day we won't be able to say that even in Pakistan let alone China.