The establishment of the China-Pakistan Information Corridor (CPIC) on October 26, 2026, marks a significant milestone in the enduring friendship between Pakistan and China. Launched through official cooperation between the two countries during the 75th anniversary year of their diplomatic relations, this landmark initiative aims to strengthen media cooperation, information exchange, research, trade connectivity and people-to-people relations.
For the Karachi Editors Club (KEC), this development carries special historical significance. Nearly seven years before CPIC’s establishment, the Club had proposed a Pak-China Media Corridor (PCMC), recognising that the expanding economic partnership under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) also required stronger communication between the media institutions and peoples of both countries.
The journey from KEC’s initial proposal in January 2020 to the formation of the Silk Road Media Corridor (SRMC) in 2022 and the government’s establishment of CPIC in 2026 reflects the growing recognition of information connectivity as an essential component of bilateral cooperation.
The Beginning: KEC’s Vision in January 2020
On January 20, 2020, the Karachi Editors Club hosted its 75th meeting and a welcome reception in honour of the newly appointed Chinese Consul General in Karachi, Li Bijian.
During the gathering, Syed Sarmad Ali, Managing Director of Jang and Geo Group and then President of the All Pakistan Newspapers Society (APNS), floated the idea of establishing a Pak-China Media Corridor on behalf of KEC.
The proposed platform was intended to connect journalists, editors, publishers and media organisations through professional exchanges, joint conferences, training programmes and reliable information-sharing.
The initiative emerged when CPEC was transforming Pakistan’s infrastructure, energy and transportation sectors. KEC recognised that economic connectivity needed to be complemented by media cooperation and greater public understanding.
On January 23, 2020, KEC Secretary General Manzar Naqvi formally wrote to Consul General Li Bijian, appreciating his participation in the meeting and outlining opportunities for cooperation.
The letter proposed visits to CPEC projects at Port Qasim and Gwadar, professional exchanges, a possible KEC delegation to China and the publication of relevant articles in Pakistani newspapers. Significantly, it also documented KEC’s intention to submit a detailed proposal for the Pak-China Media Corridor.
The dialogue continued on February 21, 2020, when Consul General Li Bijian hosted a dinner in honour of KEC members at the Chinese Consulate in Karachi, where the proposed corridor was again discussed.
However, bureaucratic and administrative hurdles prevented the original concept from becoming operational.
SRMC: Giving the Vision an Institutional Structure
Despite these challenges, KEC continued its efforts and, in January 2022, established a 22-member Special Committee on the Silk Road Media Corridor.
The initiative was announced at a special KEC meeting attended by Director General Press Information Department (PID), Karachi, Irum Tanweer, as chief guest.
KEC President Mubasher Mir appointed Secretary General Manzar Naqvi as Convener of the committee, while Irum Tanweer formally presented the appointment letter.
Addressing the gathering, she highlighted the importance of strengthening Pakistan’s economy and recognised the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and CPEC as instruments of regional development and shared prosperity.
SRMC brought together prominent journalists, editors, scholars and media professionals from Pakistan and China, giving the initiative an international and nationwide character.
From China, members included Yang Fanxin of Renmin University of China; Kang Bing, former Deputy Chief Editor and Publisher of China Daily; Diego Su Qnig of Xinhua Daily, Nanjing; and senior bilingual journalist Zhu Na (Nicole).
From Karachi and Sindh, the committee included Mubasher Mir, Colonel (Retd) Mukhtar Ahmed Butt, Agha Masood Hussain, Rasheed Jamal, Professor Iqbal Jamil, Shama Munshi, Faiz Brohi, Alveena Agha, Khurram Jaffarani and Muhammad Noman.
From Balochistan, Javaria Tareen, President of the Balochistan Institute of Research and Development, represented Quetta, while Punjab was represented by Zahid Baig, senior reporter of Business Recorder, Lahore.
From Islamabad, members included Dr. Talat Shabbir, Director of the Pakistan-China Study Centre at the Institute of Strategic Studies; Mudassar Bokhari, Chief Operating Officer of Such TV; and Naeem Awan, a representative of Sindhi media.
From Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Syed Ali Nawaz Gilani, President of the Pak-China Listeners’ Club, represented Peshawar, while Gilgit-Baltistan was represented by Professor Dr. Ansar Madani of Karakoram International University.
The committee aimed to promote accurate reporting on BRI and CPEC, strengthen professional exchanges, encourage collaborative research and address misinformation concerning regional development.
Despite its ambitious objectives and experienced membership, SRMC faced financial and institutional challenges. Limited resources, the absence of a permanent secretariat and insufficient operational support restricted its activities.
Nevertheless, its establishment demonstrated KEC’s commitment to translating its original media corridor proposal into an organised professional network.
October 2026: The Government-Backed CPIC Takes Shape
Nearly seven years after KEC’s initial proposal, Pakistan and China formally launched the China-Pakistan Information Corridor at the Pakistan-China Friendship Centre in Islamabad on October 26, 2026.
The ceremony was attended by Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar, Chinese Ambassador Jiang Zaidong, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Mao Ning and senior officials from both countries.
Approximately 600 representatives from media organisations, academic institutions, think tanks and other sectors participated in the event.
Addressing the gathering, Attaullah Tarar emphasised that while CPEC had strengthened economic and physical connectivity, CPIC would promote information-sharing and greater understanding between the peoples of Pakistan and China.
Chinese representatives also highlighted the importance of reliable information, institutional cooperation and effective communication in addressing misinformation.
CPIC has been structured around four major pillars: media cooperation; business and enterprise; think tanks and research; and culture, tourism and youth engagement.
The media pillar seeks to promote verified news exchange and fact-checking, while the business component aims to strengthen trade and investment relationships. The research and cultural pillars focus on academic collaboration, cultural understanding and people-to-people engagement.
The initiative provides a wider institutional framework than the original media-specific proposal advanced by KEC.
Three Initiatives, a Shared Vision
The historical importance of PCMC, SRMC and CPIC lies in their common emphasis on strengthening communication and understanding between Pakistan and China.
PCMC was conceived by KEC in 2020 as a bilateral media cooperation platform. SRMC, established in 2022, represented an organised effort to bring journalists, researchers and media professionals together. CPIC, launched in 2026 through official bilateral cooperation, is a broader initiative encompassing information, business, research and cultural connectivity.
Although CPIC should not be described as a direct institutional continuation of KEC’s initiatives without formal evidence, the similarity of their objectives is noteworthy.
KEC’s documented correspondence and the formation of SRMC demonstrate that professional media organisations had recognised the importance of information connectivity well before the new corridor was launched.
The successful implementation of CPIC will require meaningful participation by professional media bodies, adequate financial resources and institutional continuity. Journalist exchanges, digital media training, research collaboration, multilingual publishing and responsible fact-checking could become important areas of cooperation.
Connecting Economies and Minds
The establishment of CPIC deserves appreciation as an important achievement of the governments of Pakistan and China. It also provides an opportunity to recognise KEC’s earlier efforts to encourage structured media cooperation.
The vision proposed by Syed Sarmad Ali at KEC’s 75th meeting in January 2020, the subsequent engagement with Consul General Li Bijian and the formation of SRMC under KEC President Mubasher Mir in 2022 represent meaningful chapters in the history of Pakistan-China media relations.
Although bureaucratic hurdles and resource limitations prevented those initiatives from reaching their intended potential, their central objectives remain relevant.
CPIC now offers an opportunity to develop a sustainable framework for cooperation among governments, journalists, researchers, businesses and younger generations.
If CPEC has connected Pakistan and China through infrastructure and economic development, CPIC has the potential to connect their peoples through information, knowledge and mutual understanding.
The journey from KEC’s original media corridor vision to the establishment of CPIC demonstrates that meaningful ideas may face obstacles, but their relevance endures when they address the evolving needs of nations and societies.
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