Chinese people in Egypt
Encyclopedia
Chinese people in Egypt form one of the smaller groups of overseas Chinese; however, they are a very diverse community with a history reaching back for over a century.
, has long been an important destination for Chinese Muslims
seeking Islamic learning. The earliest Chinese government-sponsored students to attend Al-Azhar were a group of four sent in 1931. However, individual Chinese scholars, such as Yusuf Ma Dexin
, the first translator of the meanings
of the Qur'an
into Chinese
, had been going to Al-Azhar on their own as early as the 19th-century. Exchanges were interrupted during the Cultural Revolution
, but resumed in 1981; the group of ten sent from China to Al-Azhar that year included three Uyghurs, six Hui, and one Kazakh
. By 1992, that number had reached thirty-four students, of whom twenty-eight were Uyghurs. , there were about 300 international student
s from China in Egypt, of who the major portion were studying at Al-Azhar. China also provides scholarships to students at other universities, such as Cairo University
; some students privately complain that the Chinese government prefers to sponsor those studying science and place various obstacles in the way of those studying religion.
; they were able to underbid local construction companies by importing labourers from China, despite high unemployment in Egypt. Chinese workers have a reputation for being skillful, diligent, and efficient. Drew Gladney states that the number of Chinese construction workers in Egypt peaked between 1985 and 1987, at about 10,000 people, but declined again to around 5,000 by 1992.
, Fujian
, and the Northeast
. They commonly open businesses in the restaurant, garment, and telecommunications sectors. Many of their restaurants serve Cantonese cuisine
due to its popularity among Egyptians, though there are few migrants actually from Guangdong
. As of June 2008, the more than 500 Chinese companies in Egypt had invested a total of US$
450 million of capital. Manufacturing products in Egypt allows them to take advantage of cheap local electricity and water, as well as local labour which may actually be cheaper than that of China in some sectors, such as garments. An article published in 2010 in Egyptian newspaper Almasry Alyoum
stated that there may be as many as 60,000–100,000 Chinese people in Egypt, working especially as street vendors and door-to-door salesmen.
Students
Egypt, and specifically Cairo's Al-Azhar UniversityAl-Azhar University
Al-Azhar University is an educational institute in Cairo, Egypt. Founded in 970~972 as a madrasa, it is the chief centre of Arabic literature and Islamic learning in the world. It is the oldest degree-granting university in Egypt. In 1961 non-religious subjects were added to its curriculum.It is...
, has long been an important destination for Chinese Muslims
Islam in China
Throughout the history of Islam in China, Chinese Muslims have influenced the course of Chinese history. Chinese Muslims have been in China for the last 1,400 years of continuous interaction with Chinese society...
seeking Islamic learning. The earliest Chinese government-sponsored students to attend Al-Azhar were a group of four sent in 1931. However, individual Chinese scholars, such as Yusuf Ma Dexin
Yusuf Ma Dexin
Yusuf Ma Dexin was a Hui Chinese scholar of Islam from Yunnan, known for his fluency and proficiency in both Arabic and Persian, and for his knowledge of Islam.- Hajj :...
, the first translator of the meanings
Qur'an translations
Translations of the Qur'an are interpretations of the holy book of Islam in languages other than Arabic. Though translation of the Qur'an is theologically problematic in Islam, it has been translated into most African, Asian and European languages....
of the Qur'an
Qur'an
The Quran , also transliterated Qur'an, Koran, Alcoran, Qur’ān, Coran, Kuran, and al-Qur’ān, is the central religious text of Islam, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God . It is regarded widely as the finest piece of literature in the Arabic language...
into Chinese
Chinese language
The Chinese language is a language or language family consisting of varieties which are mutually intelligible to varying degrees. Originally the indigenous languages spoken by the Han Chinese in China, it forms one of the branches of Sino-Tibetan family of languages...
, had been going to Al-Azhar on their own as early as the 19th-century. Exchanges were interrupted during the Cultural Revolution
Cultural Revolution
The Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution, commonly known as the Cultural Revolution , was a socio-political movement that took place in the People's Republic of China from 1966 through 1976...
, but resumed in 1981; the group of ten sent from China to Al-Azhar that year included three Uyghurs, six Hui, and one Kazakh
Kazakhs
The Kazakhs are a Turkic people of the northern parts of Central Asia ....
. By 1992, that number had reached thirty-four students, of whom twenty-eight were Uyghurs. , there were about 300 international student
International student
According to Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development , international students are those who travel to a country different from their own for the purpose of tertiary study. Despite that, the definition of international students varies in each country in accordance to their own national...
s from China in Egypt, of who the major portion were studying at Al-Azhar. China also provides scholarships to students at other universities, such as Cairo University
Cairo University
Cairo University is a public university located in Giza, Egypt.The university was founded on December 21, 1908, as the result of an effort to establish a national center for educational thought...
; some students privately complain that the Chinese government prefers to sponsor those studying science and place various obstacles in the way of those studying religion.
Migrant workers
Chinese construction companies began making inroads in Egypt in the early 1980s, soon after the reform and opening up of China's economyEconomy of the People's Republic of China
The People's Republic of China ranks since 2010 as the world's second largest economy after the United States. It has been the world's fastest-growing major economy, with consistent growth rates of around 10% over the past 30 years. China is also the largest exporter and second largest importer of...
; they were able to underbid local construction companies by importing labourers from China, despite high unemployment in Egypt. Chinese workers have a reputation for being skillful, diligent, and efficient. Drew Gladney states that the number of Chinese construction workers in Egypt peaked between 1985 and 1987, at about 10,000 people, but declined again to around 5,000 by 1992.
Traders and entrepreneurs
Individual Chinese traders and entrepreneurs began arriving in Egypt in the late 1990s and early 2000s; they came largely from ZhejiangZhejiang
Zhejiang is an eastern coastal province of the People's Republic of China. The word Zhejiang was the old name of the Qiantang River, which passes through Hangzhou, the provincial capital...
, Fujian
Fujian
' , formerly romanised as Fukien or Huguing or Foukien, is a province on the southeast coast of mainland China. Fujian is bordered by Zhejiang to the north, Jiangxi to the west, and Guangdong to the south. Taiwan lies to the east, across the Taiwan Strait...
, and the Northeast
Northeast China
Northeast China, historically known in English as Manchuria, is a geographical region of China, consisting of the three provinces of Liaoning, Jilin and Heilongjiang. The region is sometimes called the Three Northeast Provinces...
. They commonly open businesses in the restaurant, garment, and telecommunications sectors. Many of their restaurants serve Cantonese cuisine
Cantonese cuisine
Cantonese cuisine comes from Guangdong Province in southern China and is one of 8 superdivisions of Chinese cuisine. Its prominence outside China is due to the great numbers of early emigrants from Guangdong. Cantonese chefs are highly sought after throughout the country...
due to its popularity among Egyptians, though there are few migrants actually from Guangdong
Guangdong
Guangdong is a province on the South China Sea coast of the People's Republic of China. The province was previously often written with the alternative English name Kwangtung Province...
. As of June 2008, the more than 500 Chinese companies in Egypt had invested a total of US$
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
450 million of capital. Manufacturing products in Egypt allows them to take advantage of cheap local electricity and water, as well as local labour which may actually be cheaper than that of China in some sectors, such as garments. An article published in 2010 in Egyptian newspaper Almasry Alyoum
Almasry Alyoum
Al-Masry Al-Youm is an Egyptian privately owned daily newspaper that was first published in June 2004. It is published in Arabic and has a website in both Arabic and English...
stated that there may be as many as 60,000–100,000 Chinese people in Egypt, working especially as street vendors and door-to-door salesmen.