China Tries To Exert Influence Over Pakistani Media, Alleges US Report

China’s extensive global efforts to influence media narratives have come under scrutiny in a recent official report from the United States. The report highlights China’s collaboration with Russia in the realm of information and its attempts to engage other close allies, including Pakistan, to counter-narratives that it deems unfavourable.

Specifically, the report notes that China aims to strengthen its cooperation with Pakistan in combating disinformation, particularly within the framework of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) Media Forum. This partnership has led to the establishment of initiatives like the “CPEC Rapid Response Information Network” and the proposed “China-Pakistan Media Corridor (CPMC).”

In 2021, China sought significant control over Pakistani media through the CPMC, proposing the creation of a “nerve center” to monitor and shape Pakistan’s information landscape. While this proposal was rejected by Islamabad, it exemplified China’s ambition to exert direct control over its close partner’s domestic information environment.

The State Department’s report also highlights China’s substantial annual spending on foreign information manipulation efforts, which include the dissemination of false or biased information to shape positive perceptions of China and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Simultaneously, China suppresses critical information on topics such as Taiwan, human rights, the South China Sea, domestic economy, and international economic engagement.

In a broader context, China seeks to establish a global incentive structure that encourages foreign governments, elites, journalists, and civil society to accept its preferred narratives while discouraging criticism of its actions.