CPEC IN THE EYES OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD: COMPARATIVE MEDIA DISCOURSES IN PAKISTAN, INDIA, IRAN, AND AFGHANISTAN

Abstract

Purpose: The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), a flagship component of China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), has generated extensive debate across South and Central Asia due to its geopolitical, economic, and security implications. While scholarship has addressed the economic and strategic dimensions of CPEC, limited research has examined how regional media construct competing narratives around the project. This study analyzes how national media in Pakistan, India, Iran, and Afghanistan frame CPEC and shape public and political perceptions within their respective geopolitical contexts.

Methods: The study employs comparative qualitative content analysis and framing analysis of 200 news articles published between 2018 and 2023 in eight leading national newspapers across the four countries. Articles were coded using thematic and framing categories derived from Entman’s framing framework. NVivo 12 was used to categorize themes, dominant frames, tone, and sources. Intercoder reliability achieved a Cohen’s Kappa of 0.83.

Results: Findings reveal stark cross-country differences. Pakistani media predominantly adopt a positive, development-oriented frame emphasizing economic growth and strategic partnership with China. Indian media apply a security and sovereignty frame, depicting CPEC as a geopolitical threat. Iranian narratives reflect mixed positioning, balancing economic cooperation with competitive corridor concerns. Afghan media exhibit ambivalence, alternating between opportunity and exclusion. Across all countries, elite voices dominate coverage, while local communities and marginalized groups are largely absent. Episodic framing prevails, limiting structural critique and public accountability.

Conclusion: CPEC is constructed not as a neutral economic project but as a discursive site of geopolitical contestation. Media narratives mirror national strategic interests and reinforce regional tension rather than regional cooperation. The study underscores the need for more inclusive, evidence-based, and thematically contextualized regional journalism to support informed public debate.