Interview: Media cooperation key to enhancing mutual understanding among SCO countries, says Pakistani media leader

"I hope that in the future, media of the SCO countries will further strengthen connectivity, especially the exchanges and cooperation in areas such as digitalization and personnel training," a Pakistani media leader has said.

by Xinhua writers Yang Kai, Jiang Chao

ISLAMABAD, July 27 (Xinhua) -- The media outlets of Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) countries should take practical actions to fulfill their responsibilities and play a critical role in enhancing mutual understanding and people-to-people exchanges, a Pakistani media leader has said.

Guided by the Shanghai Spirit, the people of SCO countries have established closer ties, and multilateral cooperation in various fields has been diverse and fruitful, said Mudassar Iqbal, deputy director of Associated Press of Pakistan (APP), in an interview with Xinhua.

After 24 years of development, the SCO has grown into a comprehensive regional organization with the world's largest population, "fully demonstrating the strong vitality, cohesion and appeal of the Shanghai Spirit," said Iqbal, who is now in Zhengzhou, central China's Henan Province, to attend the SCO Media and Think Tank Summit on July 23-27.

The SCO has not only become a "stabilizing anchor" for the Eurasian continent, but also contributed to the improvement of the global governance system, he said.

Media cooperation between Pakistan and China has continued to deepen in recent years. In 2019, Xinhua launched its Urdu news service in Pakistan. In 2023, APP launched its Chinese news service. Most recently, the two state news agencies signed a news exchange and cooperation agreement in 2024.

Through cooperation mechanisms like the summit, the media outlets of SCO countries will establish a closer cooperative relationship and promote mutual learning among civilizations to a new level, Iqbal said.

"I hope that in the future, media of the SCO countries will further strengthen connectivity, especially the exchanges and cooperation in areas such as digitalization and personnel training," he said.

Mainstream media in SCO countries should further enhance their big data analysis methods and technologies to help the public better identify false information, said Iqbal. They should also promote exchanges and cooperation among governments, enterprises, experts and scholars by organizing forums or seminars, he added.

He suggested that the media outlets of SCO countries should encourage more young journalists, content creators and short video platforms to participate in the creative practice of cultural exchanges, so that the SCO story will become more vivid, transcend cultural barriers, and truly enter people's hearts.

Expressing his excitement about attending the summit as a media representative on his maiden trip to China, Iqbal said the event offers him an opportunity to share ideas with his counterparts and gain insight into China's economic, social and cultural development.

"This is a great opportunity for me to strengthen the ties between China and Pakistan and to contribute to promoting regional cooperation and development," he added.■