Cultural exchanges bring China, Arab world closer

China-Arab ties are increasingly extending beyond trade and diplomacy as growing numbers of students, academics, and businesspeople study, work, and build lives across the two regions.

That human dimension came into focus at the World Dialogue on China Studies-Arab Countries Session, held in Cairo on Sept 29-30, where the documentary Guests from Afar — Arabs in China offered glimpses into the lives of Arabs who have made China their second home.

Their experiences showed how language, education, and everyday interactions are complementing broader economic and diplomatic ties while helping deepen mutual understanding between Chinese and Arab societies.

Among them was Mahmoud Soliman, an Egyptian lecturer at Shanghai International Studies University, whose interest in Chinese language and culture eventually led him to study and establish a career in China.

Having lived in Shanghai for more than a decade, Soliman said his experiences have enabled him to better understand Chinese society, while also introducing Arab culture to Chinese people.

Another participant, Mude Al-Salami, a Yemeni businessman and former civil engineer who has spent decades in China, recalled how studying and working in the country eventually led him to settle in Yiwu, Zhejiang province, a major international trading hub.

Al-Salami, a former chairman of the Yiwu Yemeni Chamber of Commerce, first studied Chinese before pursuing civil engineering studies in Shanghai. After working as an engineer, he moved into business and made Yiwu his home.

Drawing on the transformation he has witnessed during his years in the country, Mude said Arab countries could learn from China's development experience while strengthening exchanges between the two sides.

"We can learn from China. China has a lot of experience and a lot of history," he said, stressing the importance of interaction and mutual learning.

The discussion accompanying the documentary showed how China-Arab engagement extends beyond government relations, with education, language, business, and everyday encounters creating increasingly personal connections between the two sides.

The documentary highlighted the experiences of Arabs who have studied, worked, and settled in China, showing how respect for each other's languages, cultures, and ways of life can help bridge differences and foster friendship.

The exchanges are also flowing in the other direction, with young Chinese students travelling to Arab countries to improve their Arabic and gain firsthand experience of the societies whose language and culture they have studied at home.

Yan Yifan, an Arabic major at Shanghai International Studies University who is currently studying at Ain Shams University in Cairo, said that he chose the language partly because closer China-Arab ties were generating more commercial and cultural exchanges.

Having studied Arabic for two years in China, Yan said living in Egypt had given him an opportunity to use the language in everyday interactions and gain a deeper understanding of Arab society.

"Arab people are warm-hearted and very friendly," he said, adding that he was delighted to communicate directly with people in Egypt.

Xiao Youyi, 23, who has studied Arabic for about four years and now majors in international relations, also travelled to Cairo to improve her language skills at Ain Shams University.

She said China's growing engagement with Arab countries initially encouraged her to study Arabic, but she later developed a personal attachment to the language.

"When I speak Arabic, I feel like I am singing, Xiao said. "It is a very beautiful language."

victor@chinadailyafrica.com