From papyrus to the cloud: A new chapter in China-Egypt cooperation

When you think about China and Egypt, what comes to your mind first? Growing up as a student in China in the 1990s, I remember Egypt being one of the first ancient civilizations we learned about in history class - the pyramids, hieroglyphs, and the Nile. China had its own enduring symbols: the Forbidden City, oracle-bone inscriptions and the Yellow River. As two of the world's four ancient civilizations, China and Egypt made contributions to knowledge and culture that resonate today. An Old Connection Thousands of kilometers apart, China and Egypt followed very different paths of development. So how have these two cultures endured for so long? Part of the answer may lie in something they shared: a habit of turning observations and knowledge into practical tools. Take writing and paper. Ancient Egyptians made papyrus and developed hieroglyphs to keep written records and preserve knowledge. In China, papermaking developed around two thousand years ago. Through different methods and at different times, both civilizations made knowledge easier to record and pass on. There are other similarities. Egypt developed a 365-day calendar, while China created its lunisolar calendar and the 24 solar terms. Mathematics and medicine also developed early in both civilizations, often driven by practical needs. These may seem like simple facts from an old history book. But they point to something that still matters today. A civilization is not only defined by what it leaves behind. It is also defined by how each new generation finds new ways to use and share knowledge. New Tools That connection can still be seen in China-Egypt cooperation today. Over seven decades, the relationship has expanded into trade, manufacturing, energy, space and technology. Chinese and Egyptian teams have worked together on projects such as EgyptSat-2, while Chinese companies have participated in Egypt's renewable energy projects, including the Benban Solar Park. Digital technology is adding a new dimension to this cooperation. One small story stands out. Egyptian software developer Ahmed El-Kholy used AI tools on Huawei's cloud platform to develop Manetho, an app that can recognize ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs. Users can point a phone camera at an inscription and receive a translation. The technology is new. But the purpose is familiar: using knowledge and new tools to understand the world and make it more accessible. A Growing Partnership This example is part of a much larger relationship. In 1956, Egypt was the first Arab and African country to establish diplomatic relations with the People's Republic of China. The two are celebrating 70 years of ties this year. The scale of the relationships is reflected in the numbers. Bilateral trade reached about 20.8 billion US dollars in 2025. Under the Belt and Road Initiative, the China-Egypt TEDA Suez Economic and Trade Cooperation Zone has attracted more than 200 companies and over 4.7 billion US dollars in investment, creating more than 10,000 direct jobs by the end of June this year. These figures show how closely the two economies are connected. But the value of cooperation is not measured only in trade, investment or the number of projects. It can also be seen in the skills people gain, the businesses they build and the ideas they are able to turn into reality. What's Next? Technological innovation may be one area where the next stage of China-Egypt cooperation lies. Large projects will remain important. So will trade, investment and infrastructure. But there is also room for more cooperation that gives engineers, researchers, developers, students and entrepreneurs the chance to use new technology in their own ways. Manetho is one example of what this could look like. It connects modern digital technology with one of the world's oldest written traditions, created by an Egyptian software developer using tools available through cooperation with China. China and Egypt have histories dating back thousands of years. What comes next does not have to be another chapter about the past. It can be a new chapter about the possibilities of today. Follow us on: Facebook Instagram Whatsapp Short link: