CRI听力:Egyptians Looking forward to Xi Jinping's Visit

When asked about his knowledge of China, Ali Abdel Majeed, a taxi driver in Cairo, says he is automatically drawn to China's economic strength, as well as its traditional code of ethics.

"For me, China is a country with big productivity, high unity and a long history. The most impressive part is that the Chinese people are getting along with each other harmoniously, despite of the huge population."

For Majeed, he says made-in-China products have become indispensable for his family.

"The clothes on me right now, the vest here is made in China. And many other things in my home, such as the kitchen utensils, are Chinese products."

And while many around the world think of Egypt as a popular tourist destination, given its long history, many in Egypt think the same thing about China.

"I hope I can travel to China someday. I hear a lot about China and really want to know how the Chinese people live and work, and their way of thinking. I think that there is something that we Egyptians can learn from China."
"If I have the opportunity to travel to China, I would like to visit Shanghai and the Great Wall. The Great Wall is a symbol of the great Chinese ancient civilization, while Shanghai represents the modernity of the country."

This year marks the 60th anniversary of diplomatic ties between China and Egypt.

Among the celebrations to mark the milestone is the 2016 Chinese-Egyptian Culture Year, which will be officially launched as part of Chinese President Xi Jinping's time in Egypt.

Beyond history and culture, many others in Egypt are hoping the Chinese President's arrival will increase their country's ties with China.

Mitt is the founder of China Biweekly, an Arabic and Chinese bilingual newspaper which introduces Chinese politics, economy and culture to Egyptians.

He says he put together his publication with the goal of helping forge better ties between the two countries.

"I often tell my Chinese partners that, as an Egyptian, I will try my best to let the common Egyptian people get to know and fall in love with a real China through the Arabic version of the newspaper. At the same time, I hope that more Chinese people will be in love with Egypt through the Chinese version of the newspaper. We want the newspaper to be a bridge between Arabic region and China."

And at the same time, he says he would like to see the entire Arab region step-up ties with China.

"China is a country of profound culture. And now it has amazed the world with great political and economic achievement. I think it is necessary for the Arab region to learn more from China. China and Egypt have been and will always be connected to each other and China is influential in the Arab region politically and economically."

Xi Jinping's trip is due to begin on Tuesday.

It's going to be his first official trip to the Middle East region since taking office.

He will arrive in Egypt after making a stop in Saudi Arabia.

His trip is scheduled to wrap up Saturday after a stop in Iran.

For CRI, this is Li Jianhua.