Expats blaze path to greater understanding

Early film successes a proof of potential

Children wave Egyptian and Chinese national flags at the welcoming ceremony Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi held for visiting President Xi Jinping in Cairo on Thursday. [Photo by Xing Zhigang/chinadaily.com.cn]

Mohamed Osama was surprised to discover recently that there was a time when Egyptian movies had a big audience in China, back in the 1960s and 70s. And the situation was similar in his homeland, too.

“I asked my older friends, and they remember a time when they were all watching Chinese movies.”

The cinematic exchange cooled as domestic and international conditions changed, but for Osama that earlier time demonstrates the potential for greater cultural exchanges between the countries.

“The most beautiful part of this world is the different cultures; we should enjoy sharing and learning about them,” he said.

Osama is a familiar face on the small screen in China. He is a co-host of Informal Talks, a Chinese-language entertainment program that in December began its second season on Hubei TV.

He believes television and movies are an effective way to convey culture to new audiences. As President Xi Jinping makes a state visit to his country, Osama hopes the trip will revive cultural ties between Egyptians and Chinese.

Osama, better known in China as Mu Xiaolong, speaks fluent Mandarin and has lived in China since 2011. The Cairo University graduate previously worked as a tour guide in the Egyptian capital.

He first appeared on Chinese TV in 2011 as a contestant on If You Are the One, a popular dating show. This raised his profile and his followers on Sina Weibo, the Chinese equivalent of Twitter, quickly soared to about 34,000.