DIGITAL CULTURAL TRANSLATION AND PAKISTANI YOUTH ENGAGEMENT WITH CHINESE CULTURE

Abstract

The rapid expansion of China-Pakistan relations under the framework of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) has catalyzed unprecedented flows of capital, infrastructure, and, less visibly but no less significantly, cultural content. This article examines the phenomenon of digital cultural translation among Pakistani youth, focusing on how Chinese media content dramas, variety shows, music, short-form videos, and animated series circulates through digital platforms and reshapes attitudes, perceptions, and self-understanding among young Pakistanis aged 16 to 30. Drawing on a synthesis of survey-based quantitative findings, ethnographic digital observations, and secondary scholarly literature, the study maps six interconnected dimensions: the frequency of Chinese media consumption; prevailing attitudes toward Chinese culture; the influence of media exposure on broader cultural perception; motivation for Mandarin language learning; observable identity shifts among heavy consumers; and the specific platforms mediating this cultural encounter. The findings reveal a nuanced landscape in which genuine cultural curiosity coexists with selective appropriation, nationalistic reservation, and aspirational pragmatism. Rather than constituting straightforward soft power success, the engagement of Pakistani youth with Chinese cultural content represents an active, contested, and locally mediated process of meaning-making one that carries significant implications for bilateral relations, educational policy, and the broader theory of digital soft power in the Global South.