Growing Pak-China media interaction
By Uzma Zafar
Deputy Editor
The Daily Mail

Media is considered to be the fourth pillar of any nation. The importance of media can never be ignored in the development and progress of a country and a nation. In today’s age, media has gained immense importance much more than ever before as all the nations now depend upon their media registering their viewpoints in the global community. Even the wars and battles are won even before they are actually fought, by virtue of media campaigns.
Pakistan is currently going through the most media-friendly phase. So is witnessing the Chinese media. The press-friendly and open media policies adopted by both Islamabad and Beijing, have brought the journalists of both the countries even closer. Now, the journalists of Pakistan and China, are exploring new avenues of professional collaborations and joint ventures to protect and promote not only the respective national and bilateral interests but also each other’s national interests. Just like the governments of Pakistan and China, journalists of both the countries also enjoy shared perceptions and unanimous views on almost all the major global and regional issues. Fortunately enough, media professionals of both the countries are deeply sincere in bringing the two friendly nations even closer and to play the role of a bridge between them.
Taking an initiative from China’s immensely media-friendly and free press policies, The Daily Mail decided to open it’s bureau offices in China. Brushing aside all the baseless Western propaganda about restricted media in China, The Daily Mail, not only successfully launched it’s offices but also signed agreements of professional collaboration with Chinese media organizations, proving that the media was absolutely free in China and enjoys full support and blessing of the Chinese government.
After realizing the fact that Chinese journalists were just par professional excellence and were equally keen in initiating joint efforts with Pak media for the promotion and protection of Pak-China ties and bilateral interests, The Daily Mail’s Editor-in-Chief, took another visionary step and formed Pak-China Media Guild; a forum that provides a variety of opportunities for the aforesaid cause.
Pakistan Television and China’s Central Television; CCTV-9, were already locked in an agreement of professional collaboration but it was at the official level.
However, The Daily Mail’s initiative is first ever of it’s kind in the private sector. It can easily be said and evaluated that in coming few years Pak-China media collaboration would enter into a new era when journalists from both countries would be delivering more effectively and comprehensively through joint efforts to the cause of Pak-China friendship and in enhancing people-to-people contact between the two nations.