China, Pakistan launch joint think-tank; faces ridicule on acronym RANDI

ISLAMABAD: All-weather allies China and Pakistan have launched their first joint think-tank, the acronym of which became the butt of jokes on social media.

The Research and Development International ( RANDI), launched around the time of Chinese President Xi Jinping's maiden visit to Pakistan, left some social media users in splits as the acronym sounded like a word in Hindu and Urdu that refers to a 'prostitute' in derogatory terms.

Twitter went berserk, with many relating the acronym to the closeness between the two countries.

"#Pakistan is now officially #China's #RANDI," said a user called Chandan Sandhu.

"Pak finally figured out what they are and created a think tank with china called #RaNdi," another user Prashanth K E tweeted.

In one of the more understated reactions, writer and political activist Fatima Bhutto tweeted: "Well, that's an unfortunate name for a think tank..."

Bhutto is the granddaughter of former Pakistani Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and niece of ex-premier Benazir Bhutto.

Prominent Indian journalist Shekhar Gupta also reacted, tweeting: "It took joint Pak-Chinese imagination to produce this marvellous 5-letter disaster of ACRONYMOLOGICAL proportions."

Others said the jokes around the acronym reflected the misogynist attitude of the people.

"#RANDI - A think tank that does not think through its own name! Speaks volumes about the qualifications of the people they hired!" tweeted Aakansha Gahlot.

According to a press release, the think tank will be co-headed by Zhao Baige, a member of China's parliament, and Mushahid Hussain, a Pakistani opposition senator.

"The new think-tank is the first joint initiative of China and Pakistan which will be dedicated to research on the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor," Hussain said, adding it was associated with the prestigious Tsinghua University in Beijing.

The think-tank would work on providing an 'Information Corridor' to promote perspectives, data and information for policy-makers, students, specialists, scholars and companies of both the countries.