Pakistan plans to build a positive narrative with the help of Chinese-funded online news channels, according to a concept paper intercepted by Indian intelligence agencies. The leaked documents from Pakistan’s security establishment suggest Pakistan wants to cooperate with China to wage an information war campaign worldwide.
The project’s concept paper is titled ‘Building capacity to contest inimical narratives through alternative narratives’. It claims the project aims to clear up misconceptions by focusing on truth and facts. The paper says internal dynamics in Pakistan are favorable for open media but financial challenges are a barrier.
To propel an amenable narrative, it is essential to have a media house of the stature of Al Jazeera and RT. According to the document, ‘Pakistan will create a media house that will be funded by China’. It says that media experts of international stature may be hired. Although China and Pakistan do not share a cultural or civilizational bond, the concept paper speaks of ‘two conflicting thoughts at play, the clash of Western civilization and Chinese integration of civilization’.
According to officials, Pakistan has ignored reports of persecution of the Muslim Uighur population in the Xinjiang region of China. Xi Jinping acknowledged at a recent Politburo meeting the negative impact of their ‘wolf warrior’ diplomats’ attacks on countries around the world. Pakistan tried to collaborate with Turkey in the past to create an Islamic channel for portraying ‘correct Islamic values’ to the world. An official said the project was shelved due to a lack of enthusiasm and energy from either party.
India believes that this project is an attempt to improve Pakistan’s image, which could also benefit China. ‘The very fact that financing is provided by China is proof enough that China intends to use this channel as a stepping stone to improve its image’. In addition, the document notes that China is competing with the West in technology and economy, but is still catching up with the US. ‘In a social media-dominated world, winning the narrative battle is more important than the physical battle,’ it says.
China and Pakistan join forces for cyber-warfare
According to Indian officials tracking cyber warfare, Pakistan has peddled a pro-China narrative amid border tension in Ladakh in the past. After the ugly clash in Galwan alley that left 20 Indian soldiers dead last year, there was an attempt to push a narrative that only a few Chinese soldiers were injured.
In addition to procuring military equipment, China’s collaboration with Pakistan is taking on a new form and is also becoming more strategic with the sharing of space assets. Chinese satellite navigation office (CSNO) confirmed that BeiDou-enabled Continuously Operating Radar Station (CORS) network in Pakistan will be used for precise geospatial applications, including surveys, construction, and scientific studies.
Read more: Angry wife foils plan for sixth marriage of ‘self-proclaimed baba’
China has been supplying Pakistan with remote sensing satellites. As well as military assets, China-Pakistan defence cooperation has also been observed in the area of information warfare. China has also been assisting Pakistan in cyber warfare. Pakistan has sought Chinese cooperation in the field of information assurance and cybersecurity. As part of this arrangement, China will assist Pakistan in monitoring the Internet and Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP). China is also assisting Pakistan in developing its all-around capability in the domain of cyber warfare by setting up an Information Security Lab at the National Electronics Complex.
Post Your Comments