China Excels in Turning Vision into Reality

Shahid Afraz Khan has spent the last 10 years navigating China's media landscape as an Urdu expert at China Media Group (CMG). From a senior producer at Radio Pakistan to a multifaceted media personality in Beijing, Khan's perspective offers a blend of an insider's view and a foreign observer's curiosity. With a background in chemistry, an MBA and a master's in mass communication, he reaches millions of Urdu speakers across Pakistan, India, the Middle East, Europe and the U.S.

A reflective evolution

Khan's personal evolution mirrors the changing environment of China's media. In Pakistan, producers stay behind the camera and reporters stay in the field. In China, Khan found a system that demands and nurtures versatility. "In Pakistan, jobs are very specialized. If you are a producer, you never appear on air. In China, we are expected to multitask. It forces you to be more creative. "In China, we have multitasking," he explains. "We have to do all these things, which makes us more creative."

He credits CMG with providing the freedom to explore different facets of media, from news editing and radio hosting to becoming a social media influencer. The working environment encourages ideas, which Khan says makes China a good place for learning and creating.

When he first arrived in Beijing in 2015, he could not read a single Chinese character and worried about food and language barriers. "When I came here and saw things firsthand, I said, these are all misconceptions," he recalls. "Life is very easy here. You can find everything, and you never feel like you are in a strange place."

From vision to reality

One of the things Khan has witnessed during his decade in China is the country's ability to translate visions into practical steps. "The best thing I have learned from China," he says, "is that they know the art of transforming vision into practical steps."

He recalls his early days in Beijing in 2015, when winter pollution was a significant issue. A colleague mentioned the aspiration for a "blue sky Beijing." He was skeptical, drawing parallels to the smog in Lahore and Karachi that had persisted for decades. "Now blue skies are a reality in Beijing. I have seen it with my own eyes," he says.

This experience shaped his understanding of Chinese governance. He contrasts this with other political systems where the promises made in speeches are sometimes forgotten: In China, "whatever they say, they do it practically." He has watched the buses go from petrol to electric and the subway lines multiply. "I am not talking about mega-projects," he says. "I am talking as a common man who uses these facilities every day."

This consistency of policy and the ability to set realistic goals have impressed him, proving that long-term planning yields tangible results for the public.

Humanity at the core

While China's speed of innovation is well known, Khan is most struck by how technology is anchored in a people-centric philosophy. "All of their approaches are people-centric," he says. "They want to bring tangible solutions for ordinary citizens. And because they are practical, they achieve what they set out to do."

He cites elder care as a prime example. During his reporting, he saw robots helping the elderly with medication, detecting falls and providing companionship. "Robots are involved in humanistic ways," he says.

He also points to AI-driven garbage sorting that turns waste into energy. "Not a single thing in China is wasted," he says. "In Pakistan, we still struggle with waste management. Here, it has become a resource."

Beyond social care, he highlights environmental transformations, such as the repurposing of Shougang Park, a former steel complex, into a hub for international activities. "That is the vision of the leadership," he says. "They want to set an example that industry should be environment-friendly."

Whenever he visits exhibitions, he sees new products, robotics and AI-driven solutions. "Every time, we find a new solution," he says. "If I explain it simply, China is making miracles."

Innovation without borders

Khan's role as a bridge between China and the Urdu-speaking world has allowed him to witness how Chinese technological achievements are reaching other developing countries. He speaks about cooperation in space, citing Pakistan's partnership with China in satellite development and the use of China's BeiDou navigation to monitor climate change. "Pakistan is one of the countries most affected by global warming," he says. "With satellite data, we can predict floods and droughts much better."

In agriculture, Chinese experts have helped Pakistan combat locust invasions. Chinese hybrid rice is now grown in Pakistan, using less water. Pakistani students who studied in China returned and introduced inter-cropping techniques, boosting yields. "They told us they are using Chinese methods to grow more food with fewer resources," Khan says.

In infrastructure, the Orange Line Metro in Lahore, built with Chinese assistance, serves millions of commuters. Chinese electric-vehicle manufacturers like BYD are setting up plants in Pakistan.

"China has made technology accessible to everyone in the world," Khan says. "Earlier, technology was so expensive that developing countries could not afford it. Now with Chinese technology, it is accessible to people in Pakistan, Africa and Southeast Asia."

He also mentions Chinese involvement in disease prevention in Africa and projects in Sri Lanka. "China's development is not limited to Chinese only. It is beyond China's borders."

When asked about China's role as a major power, he says, "After my decade of experience, I must say China's sci-tech rise is about making technology affordable and sharing solutions. That is serving millions of people across the world."

Source: Science and Technology Daily