From Beijing to Islamabad： The Cultural Integration under the Background of China Pakistan Economic Corridor

【Abstract】Pakistan is a country of diverse cultures and traditions. Islamabad， the capital of Pakistan， enjoys a close relationship with Beijing thanks to the implementation of China Pakistan Economic Corridor（CPEC）. Whereas Pakistan and China， both societies are processing two entirely diverse social cultural and customs which are quite distant from each other. Therefore， cultural harmony is prerequisite for the process of regional integration between Beijing and Islamabad. This paper， by discussing the cultural integration efforts made by both governments， is unique because the two entirely diverse cultures would be keenly observed under the background of CPEC. The cultural integration benefits both countries national interest but this cannot be achieved without consensus among people on economic， political and cultural aspects otherwise the efforts will be wasted.Cultural interaction between China and Pakistan should be at equal level so that it will not create the misconceptions among diverse cultures.

【Key words】CPEC； cultural integration； Islamabad； Beijing

【作者簡介】唐俊，内蒙古师范大学鸿德学院巴基斯坦研究中心主任。

1. CPEC Background

The entire history of human civilizations is a mixture of multiculturalism.The globalized world has also made significant changes in conventional wisdom of trade， economic， traditional linkages there it has also created different linkages from which multi cultures could interact on different platforms. the idea of the Belt and Road（B&R;） is a new approach towards multiculturalism on the pattern of Old Silk Road.

Pakistan is a country of diverse cultures， traditions with almost 73 different dialects. CPEC also said to be a combination of three Cs i. e connectivity， corridor linkages and culture relationship between two countries.2 Whereas Pakistan and China， both societies are processing two entirely diverse social cultural and religious setup. Therefore， cultural harmony is prerequisite for the process of regional integration between Beijing and Islamabad.

The undeniable significance of CPEC is also necessitating for the social integration and cultural assimilation for success. Due to social cultural and religious differences， cultural adaptation for Pakistanis seems to be difficult. The topic investigates a study of impediments and implications of migration through the CPEC towards Pakistan.

2. CPEC and Two Diverse Cultures

Both China and Pakistan possess two diverse cultures due to social cultural and religious differences， cultural adaptation for Pakistanis seems to be difficult. Two diverse countries culture is based on their ideology and religion which is quite distant from each other. China possesses the qualities of a socialist society with Confucian norms and its cultural life based on Buddhism and atheism， while Pakistani culture is based on totally Islamic values. With the implementation of COEC， some cultural integration efforts are made as follow.

2.1 Confucius Institutes in Pakistan

The Confucius Institutes of China are not having extensive history. In April 2005， Confucius Institute was founded by The Office of Chinese Language Council International （Hanban）， Beijing Language and Culture University and till December 31st， 2017， there are 525 Confucius institute all around the world.

The year 2005 remained significant with regard to Pakistan the first Confucius Institute in Pakistan which is also first of Islamic World has been constructed in National University of Modern Languages （NUML）， Islamabad， with the name of Confucius Institute of Islamabad （CII） . The CPEC has make NUMLs CII importance manifold. As language would remain the main instrument in building long lasting partnership between Beijing and Islamabad. The mission of CII is to enhance the understanding of the Chinese language and culture by Pakistani people， to deepen Pak-China friendship， to promote multiculturalism and to construct a harmonious world.

2.2 Summer Camp of CII

CII organizes summer camp every year， which has attracted more than 200 students in past years. During the summer camp， in addition to Chinese learning and Chinese culture experience， students also have the chance to visit big cities in China， such as Beijing and Shanghai， and to visit well-known scenic spots like the Great wall and Forbidden City. Summer camp is open to all Chinese language learners aged above 15 and the application is quite competitive.

2.3 Pakistan China Institute （PCI）

Although this institute came into existence before the C-PEC project， it is one of the leading institutes in creating strong bonding among Chinese and Pakistani. The PCI has been established since October 2009， under the under the Chairmanship of Senator Mushahid Hussain. It is the first of its kind non-governmental， non-partisan and non-political think-tank.

2.4 Youlin Magazines

In July 2012， Youlin Magazines， a Cultural journal was established with the collaboration PCI. It is the first magazines in both English and Chinese published in Pakistan. The objective of its creation is， to act as a cultural bridge between the people of China and Pakistan it has its pulse on the resurgent and vibrant cultural scene of Pakistan. Youlin carries articles on a wide range of themes， from theater， music， fashion， food， literature， television， film， travel， sports， art， architecture to philanthropy. The articles are both from China and Pakistan for the purpose of fostering a better social-cultural understanding of the people of the two countries.

2.5 Sangam club

In 2016， another effort by the Chinese embassy and government of Pakistan is the founding of the Sangam Club. It is a new platform for the Pakistani friends who have visited China organized by the Chinese Embassy in the past few years. It is on voluntary basis and will keep expanding. This platform is for the communication purpose， through which Pakistani and Chinese dignitaries， track II diplomats and educationalists will share the experience of visiting China which would help to promote China-Pakistan friendship.

2.6 China Radio International （CRI）

Radio is an important tool of communication and CRI state owned international broadcaster established in 1941 has comprehend itself as an effective communicator. NEWS Plus Radio is China Radio Internationals English-language broadcasting platform which provides global audiences with news， reports and feature programs with a distinctive Chinese flavor and an international perspective. On 29th January 2014， CRI celebrated its 3rd anniversary of the establishment celebrated in Pak-China Friendship Center.

2.7 CPEC project Information through website

Utilizing its credibility in China and Pakistan， extensively mobilizing of its resources in the two countries， PCI has devised a comprehensive CPEC information collection and verification mechanism. The CPEC Portal is an avenue that enables this mechanism to involve the stakeholders of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor， enhance their knowledge about the bilateral collaboration， and enrich their interaction for mutual gains.

2.8 Dictionary of Urdu-Chinese Language

To eliminate the barriers of language the government of Pakistan wants to publish a comprehensive dictionary in Urdu- Chinese language. On 5th October 2017， Adviser to Prime Minister on National History and Literary Heritage （NH&LH;）， Irfan Siddiqui announced that “This dictionary of Urdu-Chinese language will prove as a milestone to reduce communication hurdles between people of Pakistan and China by bringing them closer.”

2.9 Chinese Dramas Serial on PTV

Cultural diplomacy is an important tool of soft Power therefore with the collaboration of Beijing and Islamabad collaborating in media sector too. On October 7th， 2017， the CRI radio news elaborated that Pakistan television （PTV） will telecast Chinese drama dubbed in Urdu language form November 2017. Other than this， around 200 Chinese movies， dramas and documentaries have been translated in Urdu language and will be telecasted soon.

2.10 Pakistan-China Student Exchange Programs

Different programs and schemes have been established for the people to people contact for the young generation of Pakistan， scholarships are the integral part of it. China Scholarship Council （CSC）， entrusted by the Ministry of Education of the Peoples Republic of China （MOE）， is responsible for the enrollment and the administration of Chinese Government Scholarship programs. All scholarships are planned to create with the objective of acting as a culture bridge between the Beijing and Pakistan.

3. Findings and Recommendations

Without an iota of doubt， the CPEC is the culmination of Chinese and Pakistan for major investment. It is a cherished dream rise dream for China and Pakistan to economically raise to strength its economy. It benefits both countries national interest but this cannot be achieved without consensus among major political， track I and track II diplomats on its economic， political and cultural aspects otherwise precise will be wasted.

Secondly， in this globalized world， though human geography plays pivotal role and multi-culturalism is already prevailing， one cannot ignore the dark side of it.

In a country like Pakistan， where the society is already divided among several contrasting groups， it gives the boost to the underscoring a social apartheid. The social institutions like family， religion， and school are considered as a practical field of a social life， and media is responsible for the preservation of this culture， but Pakistani media has failed to fulfill its role so far. Therefore， the vigilant role is required form media. In addition， safeguard the culture will be difficult because todays world， where “cultural imperialism” is a contested subject.Cultural interaction between China and Pakistan should be at equal level so that would not create the misconceptions among diverse cultures.

References：

[1]Ethnologues 19th edition， 2016，https：//www.ethnologue.com/language/urd

[2]China Pakistan Economic Corridor（C-PEC）：Combination of “Three Cs”，21，June 2017[OL].http：//pakobserver.net/cpec-combination-three-cs/.

[3]https：//www.youlinmagazine.com/about-youlin-magazine[OL].

[4]http：//chinaplus.cri.cn/radio/index.html[OL].

[5]Scholarship，http：//www.cpecinfo.com/scholarships[OL].