China News Service, Cairo, October 1. Question: How do Chinese stories really reach Arab readers?
——Interview with Hassenin Fahmy Hussein, Director of the Chinese Department of Ain Shams University, Egypt
China News Service reporter Ma Xiuxiu
The "World Dialogue on China Studies·Arab Countries Special" event was recently held in Cairo, Egypt. Experts and scholars from China and Arab countries conducted exchanges on topics such as Chinese studies and civilization exchanges.
How can Chinese stories move from “spreading out” to “being truly understood by Arab audiences”? How to make the younger generation truly understand each other? What role can Egyptian sinologists play in improving understanding between the two countries? Hassenin Fahmy Hussein, the dean of the Chinese Department of Ain Shams University in Egypt and a sinologist, shared his observations and thoughts during interviews with China News Service's "East-West Question" and other interviews during the event.
When interviewed, Hasenin said that in order to translate Mo Yan's works well, he went to Mo Yan's hometown and saw scenes in "Red Sorghum Family" and "Transparent Carrots" with his own eyes. He also brought back some radishes and red sorghum from Gaomi. He believes that in order to truly translate a work well, it is best for the translator to have personal contact with the environment in which the work is located and the people living there.
On September 29, 2026, local time, the "World Dialogue on China Studies·Arab Countries Special" event was held in Cairo, Egypt. Photo by China News Service reporter Ma Xiuxiu
The interview transcript is summarized as follows:
China News Service reporter: You have been engaged in Chinese literature research and translation for a long time. Is there still a distance between “spreading Chinese stories” and “being truly understood by Arab audiences”?
Hassenin: In recent years, through cultural and people-to-people exchanges between Afghanistan and China, the spread of Chinese stories in Egypt and other Arab countries has developed significantly compared with the past. But there are differences between different countries and different ethnic groups. More efforts are needed to translate more stories that represent Chinese culture and civilization into Arabic so that more Arab readers can understand them.
In the past, many Arab readers learned about Chinese works or Chinese stories through a third language such as English and French. The situation is much better now. Some Egyptian and Arab translators have translated a large number of Chinese books, shortening the distance between Chinese works and Arab readers. With events like today's, that distance is sure to shrink even further.
But the distance remains. However, the differences between Arab countries and China, or the differences in people’s understanding, will further encourage us to introduce more Chinese stories or Chinese books to Arab readers.
China News Service reporter: China and Arab countries have become increasingly close in recent years. Is there a "temperature difference" between cooperation at the government and economic and trade levels and mutual understanding between ordinary people, especially young people? How can the younger generation truly understand each other?
Hassenin: In the past, many Egyptians and Arabs mainly regarded China as a country with developed economy and trade. In recent years, with the increasing exchanges between Arab countries and China in humanities and other fields, such as some youth forums organized by the two sides, more and more Arab young people, including Egyptian young people, have begun to understand the real China through different channels.
China is not only a country with rapid economic development, but also a country with a long history and ancient civilization. Now, many young Egyptians and Arabs learn more about Chinese culture by learning Chinese. In the cultural centers of Cairo and other cities, many young people watch Chinese movies and visit art exhibitions. They are also very interested in Chinese restaurants.
In addition, cultural activities organized by some universities and related institutions also provide young people with more channels to learn about China. In the past, they paid more attention to China's economic, trade and political aspects; now, through exchanges under the "Belt and Road" framework and various forums held between Afghanistan and China, many young Egyptians have the opportunity to understand Chinese culture and the true image of China more directly.
In February 2026, Li Ren'an (third from left) from Egypt walked into the Ma Family Courtyard in Datong, Shanxi, and wrote "I love China" in Arabic. Photo by Xu Lin
China News Service reporter: How interested are young Egyptians in learning Chinese now?
Hassenin: The Chinese Department of Ain Shams University where I am located is the largest Chinese department in Egypt and even in the Arab countries. In recent years, more and more students are studying Chinese.
Many students believe that learning Chinese will help them find better employment opportunities after graduation. Now many large Chinese companies have launched projects in Egypt, and more and more Chinese tourists are visiting Egypt. In recent years, many Chinese companies have also started doing business in places such as the Suez Canal Economic Zone.
Therefore, many young Egyptians choose to learn Chinese, not only because they are interested in Chinese culture, but also because they value the employment opportunities that Chinese brings.
China News Service reporter: This year marks the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Egypt. What role can sinologists play in enhancing mutual understanding between China and Egypt?
Hassenin: This year marks the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Egypt and China. As Egyptian sinologists, we shoulder a very important responsibility and need to make more efforts so that more Egyptians and Arabs can read and understand China, and introduce the true image of China and the story of China's development to Egyptian and Arab readers.
In the past, although many Egyptians and Arabs also paid great attention to China, they mainly learned about China through third languages or Western published and translated works. Now, as sinologists, we can directly translate Chinese into Arabic, or we can introduce our observations to Egyptian government departments and ordinary people by personally visiting and communicating with China.
Over the past decade, Egyptian and Arab readers’ understanding of China has changed significantly. Nowadays, in addition to works written and translated by sinologists, more and more humanistic and cultural exchange activities are carried out between Egypt and China, and between Arab and Chinese countries, which allow Arab readers to have a deeper understanding of China.
