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As a Chinese correspondent based in Africa, I have been thinking about how to depict China, such a fast-changing country, to my African readers. Writing a feature or describing the scenery may begin to paint a picture, but far more is necessary to give readers a clear understanding of the lives of real people.
Two hit Chinese TV shows dubbed into Swahili, the national language of Tanzania, are due to be aired during primetime in the country this month. Father's Wishes and Mother's Glorious Days are stories about the everyday lives of ordinary people who have experienced the great changes in China over the past few decades.
This is the second time that China has introduced its TV shows to Africa. The first was in 2011, when the soap opera Mao Doudou and Her Sweet Days made a successful debut in various Swahili-speaking countries in eastern Africa.
Rather than calling this the spread of "soft power", the term coined by Harvard professor Joseph Nye, China is more likely to see the broadcasting of its TV shows in Africa as a way for African audiences to learn more about contemporary China and how it is changing.
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