Cairo lecture explores portrayals of China in Egypt's media

The China Cultural Center in Cairo held a lecture themed "China Through the Eyes of Egyptian Media" on Aug 14, as part of its "China Stories" lecture series. More than 80 local experts, journalists, university students and Chinese culture enthusiasts attended the lecture.

Delivering a keynote speech in which he cited copious Egyptian media reports, Dr. Mohamed Servet, editor-in-chief of Youm7, a privately-owned Egyptian daily newspaper, elaborated on the presentation of China in the Egyptian media, how this coverage has evolved over time, and its influence on how Egyptians perceive China.

Servet also analyzed the reasons why Egyptian media pay attention to China, and the differences between the China portrayed in the media and the realities of Chinese society.

Servet highlighted the Egyptian media's significant focus on China's Belt and Road Initiative, economic development, the scale of China's outbound tourism and its impact on Egypt.

He also noted that media outlets in Egypt typically portray China as a nation with a long history, advanced technology, and strong manufacturing capabilities. While acknowledging that such coverage has greatly shaped the Egyptian public's perception of China, Servet emphasized the need for broader and deeper coverage to present a more comprehensive and authentic picture of China.

Servet made the case that, as Sino-Egyptian bilateral exchanges increase and new media evolves rapidly, film and TV productions from both countries, as well as social media influencers, are enriching Egyptians' understanding of China.

During the interactive session, members of the audience described how Egyptian media reports shaped their personal impressions of China. Many expressed a strong interest in visiting China to experience its society and culture in person.

Yang Runyu contributed to this story.