Youth-Centered Dialogue in Cairo Aims to Strengthen China–Africa People-to-People Ties

Cairo — A sharing and dialogue session aimed at promoting China–Africa people-to-people exchanges was held in Cairo on Thursday evening, bringing together around 100 diplomats, Egyptian alumni of Chinese universities, and young representatives from China and Egypt.

Speaking at the event themed “Writing a Splendid Chapter of China–Africa Friendship Through Youth,” Chinese Ambassador to Egypt Liao Liqiang noted that 2026 will be marked as the China–Africa Year of People-to-People Exchanges. He said China–Egypt relations are currently at their strongest point in history and stressed that the deepening of the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries requires the active participation of youth.

Ambassador Liao emphasized that building a China–Africa community with a shared future also depends on the continued efforts of young people. He added that exchanges and mutual understanding between Chinese and Egyptian youth have further strengthened ties between the two peoples and vividly demonstrated mutual learning among civilizations.

Yasser Alawi, president of Egypt’s Institute for Diplomatic Studies, said Egypt attaches great importance to youth exchanges. He noted that the Egyptian Foreign Ministry has included the Chinese language as an optional subject in its diplomatic recruitment examinations, and that the institute has incorporated studies in China into its training system, laying a solid foundation for the long-term development of Egypt–China relations.

Nasser Abdel-Aal, chairman of the Egyptian Alumni Association of Chinese Universities, recalled that Egypt was among the first Arab and African countries to establish diplomatic relations with the People’s Republic of China. He said Egypt–China relations have stood the test of time and produced fruitful cooperation across various fields.

According to Abdel-Aal, youth from both countries are not only witnesses to China–Africa friendship but also serve as an important bridge for promoting exchanges between civilizations and advancing common development. He expressed confidence that Egyptian and Chinese youth will make new contributions through concrete actions toward building a community with a shared future for mankind.

During the event, jointly organized by the Chinese Embassy in Egypt and the Association of Egyptian Scholars in China, young representatives from both sides exchanged views on cooperation in areas such as the training of young diplomats, language education, and academic exchanges. They also put forward suggestions on further deepening China–Egypt and China–Africa youth partnerships.