Fake News: Pakistan Makes Mandarin its Official Language

Pakistan's senate on Tuesday denied that the country will include Mandarin as an official language, saying the country is merely encouraging the learning of the language to further its cooperation with China.

The Senate of Pakistan on Tuesday tweeted that "in light of the growing affiliation, collaboration between Pakistan and China under the CPEC, courses of the official Chinese language, also known as the 'Standard Chinese,' may be made accessible so as to overcome any costly communication barrier." 

On Monday, a television channel in Pakistan reported that the country's senate had approved a motion to declare Mandarin an official language.

The news report was then cited by multiple Indian media outlets including India Today, Asian News International and Daily News and Analysis on Monday. 

India Today reported that the move comes at a time when Beijing and Islamabad see strong ties to India's detriment.

"Some Indian media picked up the false news in order to drive a wedge between China and Pakistan," Hu Zhiyong, a research fellow at the Institute of International Relations of the Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times on Wednesday. 

Before Pakistan's senate debunked the news report, some social media pundits suggested that China is "taking over" Pakistan and criticized Pakistan for ignoring its native languages.  

"Chairman Senate while presiding the sitting of the House on Tuesday February 20, 2018 has clarified the impression with regard to passing of resolution by the Upper House on Chinese language on Monday February 19, 2018," read a separate tweet from Senate of Pakistan on Tuesday.

Source: globaltimes

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