Ashraf AboArafe
AT the heart of the magnificent Grand Egyptian Museum, beneath the shadow of history stretching across thousands of years, the timeless grandeur of the Nile embraced the wisdom of the Yellow River in an exceptional cultural moment. The words spoken there were not merely speeches; they became bridges reaching across two great shores of humanity.
During the forum “Dialogue between Chinese and Egyptian Civilizations and the Book-Gifting Ceremony,” the hall listened to words filled with cultural passion and profound friendship, delivered by Ambassador Ali El-Hefny, former Egyptian Ambassador to the People’s Republic of China and Vice President of the Egyptian-Chinese Friendship Association.
In the presence of a distinguished gathering led by Ms. Lin Li Ying, member of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference and Director-General of the China National Publications Import & Export Corporation, Prof. Dr. Essam Sharaf, former Prime Minister of Egypt, and Prof. Dr. Ahmed Ghuneim, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Grand Egyptian Museum, El-Hefny offered a poetic vision of the meaning of giving books.
For a book, in its essence, is not merely a collection of dry pages to be turned; it is a cultural sail that crosses distances, and a window through which two peoples may gaze upon their shared dreams.
The gathering came to crown seventy years of steadfast diplomatic relations between Egypt and China (1956–2026), reaffirming that political and economic relations acquire deeper roots when nourished by the spirit of thought, literature, and culture.
As the Grand Egyptian Museum receives this precious gift of Chinese books — carrying thought, history, and literature — it once again affirms that ancient civilizations do not clash; they converse, complement one another, and together illuminate a more radiant human journey.
At the close of the celebration, the wisdom of the podium continued to resonate throughout the halls:
“If civilizations have been built across thousands of years, it is books that have preserved their memory, carried their wisdom, and opened the way for generations yet to come.”
Thus, the book remains a flower blossoming upon the enduring bridge of friendship between Egypt and China.
