Egypt: Chinese language learning surge among Egyptian youth.

Shotlist Cairo, Egypt - Recent 1. Various of street views; national flags of China, Egypt on lampposts 2. SOUNDBITE (Chinese) Youssef Ehab, translator, Cairo Chinese Culture Center: "We are blending the cultures of these two countries, with the aim of broadening Egyptians' understanding of Chinese culture. This is what I have been doing." 3. Various of street views; national flags of China, Egypt on lampposts 4. SOUNDBITE (Chinese) Ahmed Saeed, president, Hekmat Cultural Industries Group (ending with shot 5): "Twenty-five years ago, relatively few people in Egypt studied Chinese. People did not understand why a young person would choose to study Chinese. Twenty-five years later, today, Chinese has already surpassed all other languages." 5. Various of street views; national flags of China, Egypt on lampposts 6. SOUNDBITE (Chinese) Hassan Ragab, Egyptian director, professor, Confucius Institute at Suez Canal University in Egypt (partially overlaid with shot 7): "I think learning Chinese offers promising prospects for Egyptian youth. Given the significant geographical distance between Egypt and China, like 10,000 km away, cultural exchange can bring us closer together." SHOT OVERLAYING SOUNDIBTE 7. National flags of China, Egypt on lampposts SHOT OVERLAYING SOUNDIBTE 8. Traffic Storyline The deepening bilateral economic, trade, and cultural exchanges have spurred a growing number of young Egyptians to study Chinese as this year marks the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Egypt. Egyptians from diverse professional backgrounds in Cairo have shared their views on studying the Chinese language. For Youssef Ehab, learning Chinese began as little more than a new undertaking. From mastering his first Chinese character to articulating his understanding of Chinese culture in Chinese, he said the Chinese language has become a gateway for him to engage with China, build friendships, and broaden his life opportunities. "We are blending the cultures of these two countries, with the aim of broadening Egyptians' understanding of Chinese culture. This is what I have been doing," said Ehab, who works as a translator for Cairo Chinese Culture Center. Learning Chinese has also changed his life, enabling him to engage in humanities exchange, translation, and publishing. More and more Egyptians are learning Chinese to understand China, thereby bringing the two countries closer together. "Twenty-five years ago, relatively few people in Egypt studied Chinese. People did not understand why a young person would choose to study Chinese. Twenty-five years later, today, Chinese has already surpassed all other languages," said Ahmed Saeed, an Egyptian Sinologist and publisher and also the president of Hekmat Cultural Industries Group, a local publishing and cultural firm. "I think learning Chinese offers promising prospects for Egyptian youth. Given the significant geographical distance between Egypt and China, like 10,000 km away, cultural exchange can bring us closer together," said Hassan Ragab, the Egyptian director and professor at the Confucius Institute at Suez Canal University in Egypt. [Restrictions: No access Chinese mainland]