Pakistan and China launched the China-Pakistan Information Corridor (CPIC) in Islamabad on Tuesday, a four-pillar initiative to strengthen media cooperation, counter misinformation, promote trade and investment, and expand cultural exchanges, Xinhua and Business Recorder reported.

Source: Xinhua via EIN News / Business Recorder

Pakistan's Information Minister Ataullah Tarar, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning and Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan Jiang Zaidong attended the launch, which came as the two countries mark 75 years of diplomatic relations, according to reporting by Pakistan's DNA news agency and The Daily CPEC.

Source: DNA via Centreline

"The first phase connected our lands; the next phase will connect our minds," Tarar said, describing the corridor as an extension of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) — which built roads, energy and port infrastructure — into information, research, business, culture and youth engagement.

Under the media pillar, a working group of 18 media organisations — including Xinhua, China Media Group and People's Daily — will share verified news, and a dedicated fact-checking mechanism will track misleading narratives and respond with verifiable information, Tarar said. The business pillar includes a regional office opened in Karachi, a planned trade portal to track trade, investment and foreign direct investment, and a podcast series featuring Chinese entrepreneurs in Pakistan and Pakistani entrepreneurs in China.

The launch adds an information and public-engagement dimension to CPEC cooperation. For readers in Punjab and the wider region, closer Pakistan-China media and trade coordination is part of the larger contest over narratives, investment and connectivity across South Asia — an area India, Pakistan and China all watch closely.