Historic Cairo and charming Beijing… cultural exchange and friendship between Egyptian and Chinese youth

The promising Egyptian youth are part of the “Charming Beijing” activities, which Cairo hosted at the beginning of this month. To be at the heart of cultural exchange with Chinese youth; This is through intellectual dialogueGood education, language, culture, and green mobility; Thus achieving a number of sustainable development goals, which will only be achieved with the help of young people, their social skills, cultural aspirations, and economic efforts.

The “Charming Beijing” events came under the slogan “Exchange and Interaction between Civilizations.” The events were held under the auspices of the Chinese Embassy in Egypt and the Egyptian Supreme Council of Culture, and organized by the Information Office of the Beijing Municipal Government, in cooperation with the China-Arab Cultural and Tourism Cooperation Center and the Confucius Institute at Cairo University.

These Egyptian-Chinese events aimed to explore the skills of Egyptian youth, then highlight the historical depth of Beijing and clarify the extent of its contemporary vitality, in a way that supports the seventeenth goal of the sustainable development goals. That is, establishing partnerships to achieve goals, and this is by strengthening international cooperation between the Egyptian capital and the Chinese capital.

Dialogue of Civilizations: Heritage and Infrastructure

On the first day, a civilized dialogue was held entitled “The Song of Canals: A Meeting of Miracles.” It was a meeting that brought together Egyptian and Chinese experts and academics, in which these participants compared the Grand Canal in China and the Suez Canal in Egypt, and also made a comparison between the Great Wall of China and the Pyramids of Giza. This was before they reviewed common cultural values ​​and ways to protect human cultural heritage.

These axes directly relate to Goal 11 (sustainable cities and local communities), especially its goal related to protecting cultural and natural heritage. These axes also reflect the importance of sustainable infrastructure in supporting international trade. They also reveal the role of cultural exchange in enhancing the dimensions of sustainable development and its ninth goal (industry, innovation and infrastructure).

Youth and education

On the second day of the “Enchanting Beijing” activities, the Egyptian Opera House hosted the finals of the Chinese language speech competition on the culture of Beijing, with the participation of more than a thousand students from 23 Egyptian universities and educational institutions.

In this linguistic oratory competition, 12 contestants qualified and presented presentations on Beijing’s history, culture, and Chinese-Egyptian relations. In order to support the goals of the fourth goal of the seventeen sustainable development goals: quality education, through:

• Encouraging language learning
• Developing youth skills
• Knowledge exchange
• Respect cultures

Culture, arts and crafts

The activities also included the screening of the Arabic version of the documentary film “The Forbidden City,” in addition to activities to introduce traditional Chinese crafts and arts, within the framework of promoting the preservation of intangible heritage and supporting cultural diversity. These are the two goals on which Goal 11 is based, which stipulates the necessity of building sustainable cities and local communities, which also opens up horizons for creative industries and handicrafts fields. This is as a source of income and job opportunities, which intersects with Goal No. (8) decent work and economic growth.

Electric mobility and green transition

On the sidelines of the events, the “BAIC X55e” and “ARCFOX T1” electric cars were displayed. In order to introduce the extent of the development of the Chinese automobile industry and the degree of its presence in the Egyptian automobile market; Contributing to enhancing electric transportation, because of its extremely important role in reducing harmful carbon emissions.

Also, the role of electric cars – an important role to combat the effects of climate change – in implementing the green transition towards a low-carbon economy, as well as the potential for clean technology transfer. All of this is within the framework of the ninth goal of the Sustainable Development Goals: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure.

A significant occasion

It is worth noting here that these events coincide with the seventieth anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Egypt, and also coincide with the year of popular and cultural exchanges between China and Africa 2026. In a way that deepens understanding, friendship and cooperation between Cairo and Beijing, and in a way that embodies the spirit of the seventeenth goal – establishing partnerships to achieve the goals – in building partnerships based on respect and the exchange of experiences.

Hence the philosophy The Earth Guards Foundation It is based on the fact that cooperation between Egyptian youth and Chinese youth is a covenant of joint succession on our planet Earth, which is a trust whose responsibility is shared between generations. Thus, “Enchanting Beijing” becomes a significant cultural event and a path that can connect Egyptian and Chinese youth to issues of land and development, and make the seventieth anniversary of Egyptian-Chinese friendship the beginning of a new phase based on achieving sustainable development goals in the Earth’s secure present and in its prosperous tomorrow.