Ashraf AboArafe
CAIRO, October 12, 2026 — Marking the 70th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Egypt and China, Badr University in Cairo (BUC) hosted the Chinese Culture Festival today. Organized jointly by BUC and Sinopec under the auspices of the Chinese Embassy in Egypt, the event was executed by the Department of Chinese Language at the School of Linguistics and Translation.
Featuring keynote speeches, artistic performances, immersive cultural activities, and vibrant youth interactions, the festival celebrated decades of fruitful educational collaboration and human-centric cultural exchange.
More than 300 faculty members and students attended the opening ceremony. Distinguished guests included:
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Mr. Lu Chunsheng, Minister Counselor at the Chinese Embassy in Egypt
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Mr. Wei Dong, Chief Representative of Sinopec’s Africa Office
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Prof. Dr. Amr El-Atreby, Vice President of Badr University in Cairo (representing the University President)
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Dr. Diaa Helmy El-Feqy, Founder and Secretary-General of the Egyptian-Chinese Chamber of Commerce and member of the Egyptian Council for Foreign Affairs
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Mr. Ahmed Salam, former Media Counselor at the Egyptian Embassy in Beijing
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Prof. Dr. Hussein Mahmoud, Dean of the School of Linguistics and Translation
A Milestone Year in Bilateral Relations
The year 2026 marks 70 years since Egypt became the first Arab and African nation to establish diplomatic ties with the People’s Republic of China in 1956. Building upon this milestone, President Xi Jinping made a state visit to Egypt on September 1–2, 2026, at the invitation of President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi. The two leaders reached significant consensus on deepening their Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, paving the way for expanded collaboration in education, science, technology, and culture.
In his opening remarks, Mr. Lu Chunsheng noted that President Xi’s visit represented both a tribute to seven decades of deep friendship and a launchpad for the future. He reiterated China’s commitment to implementing the leaders’ joint consensus by expanding Chinese language education, facilitating joint academic research, boosting faculty and student exchanges, and fostering mutual cultural understanding. He also praised Sinopec for fulfilling its corporate social responsibility through sustained support of university-enterprise cooperation, encouraging young people to contribute directly to bilateral friendship.
Speaking on behalf of BUC President Prof. Dr. Ashraf El-Shihy, Prof. Dr. Amr El-Atreby expressed gratitude to the Chinese Embassy and Sinopec for their unwavering support. He emphasized that the decade between the 60th anniversary in 2016 and the 70th in 2026 yielded tangible progress in university cooperation, language education, and youth exchanges.
“Universities serve as vital bridges connecting civilizations. BUC has actively expanded partnerships with Chinese institutions, sending Egyptian students to study in China and welcoming Chinese students to Cairo. This bi-directional flow embeds friendship into everyday classroom life.”
— Prof. Dr. Amr El-Atreby, Vice President of BUC
Corporate Partnership and Educational Growth
Mr. Wei Dong highlighted Sinopec’s role as both a partner and witness to Egyptian-Chinese cooperation. Beyond its core operations in oil and gas exploration and technical services, Sinopec prioritizes local community engagement and cultural support.
He highlighted the remarkable growth of BUC’s Chinese Language Department, which expanded from just over a dozen students ten years ago to over 500 enrolled annually today. BUC students recently achieved outstanding success in Sinopec’s “Love on the Nile” video creation contest and the “Youth Cultural Ambassador” search initiative. Sinopec pledged continued collaboration across energy, green development, technological innovation, and cultural exchange.
Delivering a speech titled “Egypt and China on the Road Together: Present Strength and Future Horizons,” Dr. Diaa Helmy El-Feqy traced historic milestones—from Chinese students arriving at Al-Azhar in 1931 to the 1956 establishment of diplomatic ties and the 2016 Cultural Year. Quoting Confucius on the value of beneficial friendships, he emphasized culture and education as enduring pillars of the alliance.
Additional perspectives were shared by Mr. Ahmed Salam, visiting professor at North China University of Technology, who presented a paper on the future of Egyptian-Chinese relations, and Prof. Dr. Hussein Mahmoud, who commended the faculty and students for their dedication to bi-directional language learning and cross-cultural dialogue.
On-Stage Performances and Open-Air Cultural Fair
On stage, Egyptian students from BUC performed alongside Chinese exchange students from Beijing Language and Culture University and Heilongjiang University. The joint showcases featured poetry recitations, choir performances, traditional dances, short theatrical skits, and solos—with Chinese students reciting Arabic poetry and Egyptian students acting in fluent Chinese.
Following the opening ceremony, festivities moved to the open square outside the School of Linguistics and Translation. The interactive fair featured 10 distinct cultural experience booths, recording over 7,000 interactions throughout the day.
Highlights included:
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Traditional Arts: Calligraphy, movable-type printing, paper-cutting, tea art, and authentic Chinese cuisine.
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Music & Attire: Students wearing Hanfu and ethnic costumes, accompanied by live Guzheng performances of the classical piece “Song of the Pipa.”
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Demonstrations: Live martial arts showcases and a dedicated corporate culture booth presented by Sinopec.
By integrating language learning, academic partnership, and corporate engagement, Badr University and Sinopec provided a dynamic platform for young people to connect, setting a vibrant precedent for the next chapter of Egyptian-Chinese relations.
