BEIJING, Aug. 28 (Xinhua) — « Wherever I go on my overseas visits, what fascinates me the most are the civilizations created by people of different countries and ethnic groups, » Chinese President Xi Jinping once said.

Egypt, cradle of one of the world’s most ancient civilizations, has held a special appeal for Xi. « I marveled at the Nile, mother of the Egyptian civilization, and was amazed by the wisdom and strength of the Egyptian people, » Xi wrote in a signed article published in an Egyptian newspaper prior to his first state visit to Egypt in 2016.

A decade later, as Xi is set to embark on his second state visit to Egypt, the Nile will continue witnessing more remarkable stories of exchanges and mutual learning between the two ancient civilizations.

This photo taken on April 9, 2024 shows a view at the Luxor Temple in Luxor, Egypt. (Xinhua/Wang Dongzhen)

During the 2016 visit to Egypt, Xi traveled to Luxor, an ancient city nestled on the banks of the Nile widely described as one of the world’s largest open-air museums.

With a keen interest in different cultures and histories, Xi has made a point of visiting historical sites during overseas trips, from the ancient Mayan ruins of Chichen Itza in Mexico to the Acropolis Museum in Athens and the Group of Monuments at Mahabalipuram in India.

Under a clear night sky in Luxor, Xi and Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi toured an ancient temple along its main avenue. As they walked, Xi and Sisi exchanged views on the distinctive features of their two ancient civilizations, recalling their long history of exchanges and mutual learning.

More than 2,000 years ago, China and Egypt were connected by the ancient Silk Road, along which not only porcelain and glassware, but also knowledge and ideas, flowed between the two civilizations.

These archaeological sites in Luxor, Xi said, are a concentrated reflection of ancient Egyptian civilization and provide a wealth of material for studying its history, culture, society and technological development.

Mamdouh Eldamaty, then Egyptian minister of antiquities who accompanied Xi on his tours of Luxor, said Xi showed a keen interest in ancient Egyptian civilization, with his remarks reflecting profound historical insight and strategic vision.

The archaeologist said he was deeply impressed by Xi’s broad knowledge, open-mindedness, strong appreciation for culture, and humble attitude toward learning.

At the iconic Luxor Temple, Xi and Sisi jointly witnessed the launch of the 2016 China-Egypt Culture Year, a landmark moment in bilateral cultural exchanges.

The event marked the first time that China had jointly held a Culture Year with an Arab country, opening a new chapter of cultural interactions between China, Egypt and the wider Arab world in the years that followed. ■

Un tribunal fédéral américain a condamné trois hommes reconnus coupables d’avoir participé à un réseau de soutien financier et logistique à des combattants séparatistes camerounais. Selon le ministère américain de la Justice, les fonds et équipements fournis devaient notamment servir à fabriquer et utiliser des engins explosifs improvisés au Cameroun.

Francis Chenyi Sr., 52 ans, Lah Nestor Langmi, 49 ans, et Claude Ngenevu Chi, 43 ans, ont été condamnés par un tribunal fédéral de Kansas City, dans le Missouri. Francis Chenyi et Lah Nestor Langmi écopent chacun de 180 mois de prison, soit 15 ans, suivis de trois ans de liberté surveillée. De son côté, Claude Ngenevu Chi a été condamné à 63 mois de prison, également suivis de trois ans de liberté surveillée.

D’après les éléments présentés par la justice américaine, les trois hommes ont contribué au financement et au soutien logistique de combattants séparatistes actifs dans les régions anglophones du Cameroun. Les fonds auraient notamment servi à l’acquisition de composants destinés à la fabrication d’engins explosifs improvisés (EEI), ainsi qu’à leur développement et à la formation à leur utilisation.

La justice américaine reproche également à Langmi d’avoir participé à la coordination d’opérations d’enlèvement. Parmi les faits évoqués figure l’enlèvement, par des séparatistes, du chef traditionnel Fonmbam Aforteka et du cardinal catholique Christian Tumi, après un affrontement avec les forces camerounaises. Selon les documents judiciaires, Chenyi aurait contribué au financement de cette opération.

Par ailleurs, la justice indique que les accusés auraient coordonné des transferts de fonds depuis les États-Unis vers le Cameroun et participé à des projets visant des attaques à l’aide d’explosifs, notamment autour de plusieurs villes du Nord-Ouest et à proximité du stade de la Coupe d’Afrique des Nations 2021.

Ce n’est pas pour la première fois que la justice américaine condamne des citoyens camerounais pour leur soutien aux séparatistes dans la crise qui secoue les régions du Nord-Ouest et du Sud-Ouest du Cameroun depuis plusieurs années.

BEIJING, Aug. 28 (Xinhua) — Over the years, Chinese President Xi Jinping has repeatedly called for stronger cultural exchanges between China and Egypt to deepen mutual understanding and friendship between the two peoples.

On Nov. 1, 2025, the Grand Egyptian Museum opened its doors as one of the world’s largest displays of ancient relics, marking a major milestone in Egypt’s efforts to preserve and showcase its ancient heritage.

Xi sent a special envoy for the opening ceremony. He also extended a congratulatory message to Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi, in which he expressed the belief that the museum would leave a significant mark on Egypt’s cultural history and play an important role in safeguarding the heritage of ancient Egyptian civilization.

« President Xi’s congratulatory message conveyed sincere friendship and reflected the close ties between the two great ancient civilizations of Egypt and China, » said Muhsin Farjani, a renowned Egyptian scholar of Chinese studies.

A woman visits the exhibition « On Top of the Pyramid: The Civilization of Ancient Egypt » at the Shanghai Museum in Shanghai, China, Aug. 11, 2025. (Xinhua/Liu Ying)

In the message, Xi also highlighted the vibrant and diverse cultural exchanges between the two countries in recent years, including a major exhibition on ancient Egyptian civilization at the Shanghai Museum.

The 13-month exhibition, which ran from July 2024 to August 2025, was the largest and most comprehensive overseas display of ancient Egyptian artifacts ever held in Asia. It drew 2.77 million visitors, setting a global attendance record for a paid special exhibition at a museum, with tickets often hard to come by.

While the exhibition’s popularity reflects growing Chinese interest in ancient Egyptian civilization, Chinese culture has also drawn growing attention in Egypt. Egypt was among the first Arab and African countries to introduce Chinese-language education in 1958. Chinese-language education has been integrated into Egypt’s education system, with a comprehensive pathway established from primary and secondary schools to doctoral programs.

Xi has long championed the preservation of cultural heritage, and has also followed the progress of joint archaeological projects between China and Egypt, including the one exploring the mysteries of the pyramids at Saqqara, located south of Cairo.

The two countries initiated their first joint archaeological mission in 2018 at the 3,000-year-old Montu Temple complex in the Karnak Temple area of Luxor.

In January, the mission announced the discovery of a previously unknown sacred lake, along with other artifacts, offering new insights into ancient Egyptian ritual life.

Archeologists of the joint Egyptian-Chinese archeological mission work at Montu Temple in Luxor, Egypt, on Dec. 14, 2019. (Xinhua)

Mohamed Abdel-Badie, head of the Egyptian Antiquities Sector at Egypt’s Supreme Council of Antiquities, said the findings demonstrated a modern model of international cooperation that offers a vivid testament to how « culture and history can speak a common language. »

Thanks to the efforts of both sides, many of the discovered artifacts were put on display at the Shanghai Museum exhibition. Yan Haiying, a professor at Peking University and one of the curators of the exhibition, said the exhibition demonstrates how archaeology can promote exchanges and mutual learning between civilizations.■