A Journey to Learn about Arab Communities in China
By: Yidan Fan / Arab America Contributing Writer
Today, there is a large number of Arab communities living in China. They came to China to study, work, or develop their own businesses. By reading this article, let’s take a journey together to get to know Arab communities in China.
The Arabs and their communities have a deep connection with China in history. Thousands of years ago, the first group of Arab businessmen came to China by traveling a long distance. Since then, the economic and cultural exchanges between Arab countries and China have begun. With the continuous economic and social development, especially the “Belt and Road” strategy, more and more Arabs seized the opportunities and came to China to develop their own businesses. Moreover, with the relationship between Arab countries and China growing closer and closer, it becomes a popular trend to study Chinese among the Arabs.
Nowadays, there is a large number of Arabs studying, working, and living in China and they have developed multiple Arab communities. This article will help you to learn more about them.
Arab Merchants in History
In the 13th century, Genghis Khan’s Mongolian army dominated the world and became invincible. During the Western Expedition, some Arabs began to emigrate to China because of the war. The Chinese called them “Huihui people” at that time. They gradually settled in China as various social identities, such as businessmen, scholars, and officials. This group of people became the main part of the Hui people.
In the Ming Dynasty, many people integrated into the Hui people, including the Western Regions and Persians. They entered China as “tribute envoys” at that time. After they finished their work, some of them chose to return to their home countries while others remained to stay in China and also became part of the Hui people today. Nowadays, the springs of the Arab merchants who came to China thousands of years ago become the Hui, one of the 55 ethnic minorities in China. They gradually integrated with the local Chinese people and formed a new big family together. They live in harmony with supporting and respecting each other.
“Little Arab” in Yiwu, Zhejiang Province
Today, Arab businessmen in Yiwu have already taken root in China. They develop various businesses here, such as restaurants, small commodity wholesalers, and consumer goods companies. Some of them married the local Chinese people and have their own families in China. The Arab merchants in Yiwu have already become an important part of Yiwu and China.
Arab Students in China
The China-Arab Talent Association came into being. Over the past years, it has effectively promoted the exchange of talents in Arab countries and China by helping Arab students to study and work in China, holding business meetings, and cultural summits. The China-Arab Talent Association has also further promoted the development of cooperation between China and Arab countries in the fields of politics, economy and trade, culture, and education. After the baptism of education and cultural influence of the two countries, students from Arab countries in China are playing an increasingly important role in the cooperation between the two sides in various fields, helping the further development of the “Belt and Road” in the future.
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