Sino-Pakistani digital diplomacy. Study of a joint informational manoeuvring system

This article studies the singular case of joint digital diplomacy conducted by two long-standing partners, China and Pakistan, whose governments are denouncing in unison a disinformation campaign targeting their interests. Following on from research on the operations of state actors in the information sphere, this study aims to shed light on the mechanisms of cooperation at work between the Chinese media of influence and their Pakistani intermediaries. Using digital investigation tools adapted to the social sciences, it analyses Chinese promotional content intended for the Pakistani public and identifies the relays of a co-constructed dissemination platform. On the basis of this investigation, the article postulates that Sino-Pakistani cooperation in the upper layers of the digital sphere is essentially asymmetrical and takes the form of mediation by Chinese media of influence with a view to reaching Pakistani internet users.