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12-10-2007, 03:01 PM
China Speaks Arabic
By Hamed Al-Moatasem, IOL Correspondent
Dec 5, 2007 http://www.islamonline.net/servlet/Satellite?c=Article_C&cid=1196785978250&pagename=Zone-English-News/NWELayout
http://www.islamonline.net/servlet/Satellite?blobcol=urldata&blobheader=image%2Fjpeg&blobkey=id&blobtable=MungoBlobs&blobwhere=1196791708974&ssbinary=true
Signs written in Arabic has become common in Chinese streets
BEIJING — The Arabic language, difficult as it is, is making inroads in China with an ever-increasing number of people developing an appetite to learn the language. "The number of Chinese students enrolling in Arabic classes is doubling," Mohamed Al-Sawi, professor of Arabic at the Beijing Foreign Studies University, told IslamOnline.net.
"Studying Arabic is no longer the choice of Chinese civil servants."
The first Arabic language department was opened at the Beijing Foreign Affairs University in 1958.
At the time, only diplomats and government officials showed interest in studying Arabic.
"Over the past five years several universities have join in opening Arabic language departments," notes Professor Sawi.
"We now have no less than 20 state universalities teaching Arabic, not to mention tens of institutes and private centers."
Leo John Ma is the director of one such private language institute.
"The demand on learning Arabic is really high," he told IOL.
"The number of those studying Arabic in our institute has more than doubled over the past three years."
Professor Sawi regrets that Arab countries are not capitalizing on this appetite for studying Arabic.
He recalled that just Egypt has been keen on offering Arabic courses in China since the 1960s.
"Only recently, Yemen and Algeria joined the efforts, offering annual grants for Chinese to learn Arabic."
New Trend
Traditionally, only diplomats and government officials were interested in learning Arabic.
The trend changed over the past few years.
"Now, many Chinese companies are investing and operating in the Arab world," notes Ma, the language institute director.
"They are hungry for Chinese who can speak Arabic."
In 2006, China's exports to Arab countries reached $31 billion, while imports amounted to $34 billion.
Resource-hungry China is working hard to secure long-term contracts with Arab countries for oil, gas and minerals to fuel its booming economy.
Chinese Muslims who speak Arabic can also land well-paid jobs in the booming seaboard provinces, including Yiwu, a trading hub in southeastern Zhejiang province whose rock-bottom prices draw swarms of buyers from across the globe.
Interpreters earned 3,000 yuan ($1= 7.953 Yuan) a month, rising to 10,000 or above -- more than they could earn in a year in his poor villages.
According to official data, China has 20 million Muslims, most of them are concentrated in Xinjiang, Ningxia, Gansu and Qinghai regions and provinces.
Muslim Uighurs, who live mainly in the northwestern region of Xinjiang, have long complained of an official crackdown and discrimination.
By Hamed Al-Moatasem, IOL Correspondent
Dec 5, 2007 http://www.islamonline.net/servlet/Satellite?c=Article_C&cid=1196785978250&pagename=Zone-English-News/NWELayout
http://www.islamonline.net/servlet/Satellite?blobcol=urldata&blobheader=image%2Fjpeg&blobkey=id&blobtable=MungoBlobs&blobwhere=1196791708974&ssbinary=true
Signs written in Arabic has become common in Chinese streets
BEIJING — The Arabic language, difficult as it is, is making inroads in China with an ever-increasing number of people developing an appetite to learn the language. "The number of Chinese students enrolling in Arabic classes is doubling," Mohamed Al-Sawi, professor of Arabic at the Beijing Foreign Studies University, told IslamOnline.net.
"Studying Arabic is no longer the choice of Chinese civil servants."
The first Arabic language department was opened at the Beijing Foreign Affairs University in 1958.
At the time, only diplomats and government officials showed interest in studying Arabic.
"Over the past five years several universities have join in opening Arabic language departments," notes Professor Sawi.
"We now have no less than 20 state universalities teaching Arabic, not to mention tens of institutes and private centers."
Leo John Ma is the director of one such private language institute.
"The demand on learning Arabic is really high," he told IOL.
"The number of those studying Arabic in our institute has more than doubled over the past three years."
Professor Sawi regrets that Arab countries are not capitalizing on this appetite for studying Arabic.
He recalled that just Egypt has been keen on offering Arabic courses in China since the 1960s.
"Only recently, Yemen and Algeria joined the efforts, offering annual grants for Chinese to learn Arabic."
New Trend
Traditionally, only diplomats and government officials were interested in learning Arabic.
The trend changed over the past few years.
"Now, many Chinese companies are investing and operating in the Arab world," notes Ma, the language institute director.
"They are hungry for Chinese who can speak Arabic."
In 2006, China's exports to Arab countries reached $31 billion, while imports amounted to $34 billion.
Resource-hungry China is working hard to secure long-term contracts with Arab countries for oil, gas and minerals to fuel its booming economy.
Chinese Muslims who speak Arabic can also land well-paid jobs in the booming seaboard provinces, including Yiwu, a trading hub in southeastern Zhejiang province whose rock-bottom prices draw swarms of buyers from across the globe.
Interpreters earned 3,000 yuan ($1= 7.953 Yuan) a month, rising to 10,000 or above -- more than they could earn in a year in his poor villages.
According to official data, China has 20 million Muslims, most of them are concentrated in Xinjiang, Ningxia, Gansu and Qinghai regions and provinces.
Muslim Uighurs, who live mainly in the northwestern region of Xinjiang, have long complained of an official crackdown and discrimination.