CAIRO, June 12 (Xinhua) -- As Egypt and China mark the 70th anniversary of diplomatic relations this year, the interaction between their ancient civilizations can offer a new vision for global cultural exchange, Egyptian Sinologist Mohsen Fergani has said.
"The fundamental essence in both civilizations is culture," Fergani, a professor of Chinese language at Ain Shams University in Cairo, told Xinhua in a recent interview. "I hope the two cultures will present a general cultural program of work for humanity."
Egypt was the first Arab and African country to establish diplomatic relations with the People's Republic of China. In late 2014, the two countries officially elevated their already close ties to the level of comprehensive strategic partnership.
Fergani, who has translated several Chinese classics into Arabic, including The Analects of Confucius, The Book of Poetry and Tao Te Ching, emphasized that cultural understanding remains at the heart of Egypt-China relations.
He said that what is needed now is "a new vision for human culture, and a new philosophy for global cultural exchange."
Fergani linked his translation work to a wider historical need for cross-cultural learning, saying Chinese thought has long been part of global intellectual exchange.
"The world today needs to understand Chinese wisdom more deeply, just as it did in previous periods," he said. "The West translated the books of Confucian wisdom into Latin in ancient times. I hoped through my translation of them to introduce them to the Arabs."
Fergani said deepening exchange between Egypt and China is especially important because both countries carry long historical experience.
"Countries that carry history on their shoulders need to constantly learn, especially from one another, because they have mostly gone through the same experiences and the same challenges and obstacles, and they have a shared destiny," he said. "The shared experience answers the shared questions, and this is the importance of mutual learning between the Egyptian and Chinese civilizations."
Egypt-China cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative has expanded in recent years across infrastructure, trade, investment and cultural exchange, giving new momentum to a relationship already rooted in long historical interaction.
"Reviving the Silk Road symbolizes the revival of the great exchange that enriched the Arab and Chinese civilizations with intellectual and philosophical achievements, along with trade exchange," he said.
Fergani also voiced hope that future Arab-Chinese cooperation would give greater attention to cultural exchange and translation. "China, with its long history, deep-rooted civilization and political wisdom, has an important role to play in promoting human exchange and understanding."
The veteran Sinologist also highlighted the growing interest in learning Chinese in Egypt and the Arab world, supported by Confucius Institutes in several universities in the region.
However, he stressed that studying Chinese should go beyond language alone to include broader knowledge that helps in understanding China, such as art, civilization, history and archaeology.
"The new generation of students of Chinese culture and language serves as ambassadors between Egypt and China," Fergani said, adding that they are "ambassadors in the modern sense because they possess the tools of the modern age."
Fergani received the Special Book Award of China in 2013 for his contribution to promoting China-Arab cultural exchanges, and in 2016, received the Award for Outstanding Contribution to China-Arab Friendship.
The 70th anniversary of diplomatic relations should be seen not only as a diplomatic milestone but also as an opportunity to deepen mutual learning between the Egyptian and Chinese civilizations, he said. ■