China and Pakistan Cooperate on Fake News

On July 10, 2025, Pakistan and China agreed to enhance bilateral media cooperation and develop joint broadcasting projects to combat fake news and disinformation, according to Radio Pakistan — though it was not clear how the sides viewed these concepts, or how they intended to respond. The agreement emerged from a Beijing meeting between Pakistan’s Information Minister Attaullah Tarar and Cao Shumin (曹淑敏), a deputy minister of the Central Propaganda Department of the Central Committee of the CCP. Both officials emphasized creating a “joint narrative against fake news” and promoting technical training and institutional collaboration between their state broadcasters. The discussions included plans for cooperation between China’s national state-run broadcaster, China Central Television (CCTV), and the national Pakistan Television (PTV), with Tarar highlighting how Pakistani state media entities were already promoting Chinese development stories, the Belt and Road Initiative, and bilateral cooperation to their respective audiences.