Media Spotlight | Chinese and Egyptian Youth Build Their Future Through Technological Exchanges

Source: Xinhua Net

Reporters: Xu Haofu, Yao Bing

On April 20, at the Sino-Egyptian Teda Suez Economic and Trade Cooperation Zone in Egypt’s Suez Governorate, Jaber, manager of the Logistics Planning Department at Giant Stone Egypt Fiberglass Co., Ltd., was verifying shipment information. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Zhang Haobo.

Inside the giant stone Egypt Fiberglass Co., Ltd. (Egypt Giant Stone), located on the shores of the Red Sea in Egypt, wooden crates are neatly stacked, nearly reaching the warehouse entrance. Jabir, an Egyptian and the manager of the company’s Planning and Logistics Department, stands beside a forklift, cross-referencing data sheets in his hand while occasionally bending down to inspect bundles of fiberglass products inside the boxes.

“According to the production schedule, we can load more than 160 cartons of fiberglass products in a single day,” Jaber told reporters. These fiberglass products have a wide range of applications, spanning transportation, construction, petrochemicals, and other sectors, and are being continuously exported from here to markets across Europe, the United States, India, and beyond.

“I started out as a translator and now manage a team of more than 60 people. From my Chinese colleagues, I’ve gained extensive technical expertise and valuable management insights,” said Jaber. When he first joined the company in 2013, the facility consisted only of a canteen and dormitories. Today, the plant has grown into a modern industrial complex spanning over 430,000 square meters.

Thanks to the company’s approach of sending Egyptian employees to China’s Jushi headquarters for training, he has undertaken three stints in China to further his skills. “At first, I struggled to adapt to my Chinese colleagues’ fast‑paced, highly efficient work style, but over time I gradually fell into that rhythm and even shared some of Egypt’s best work practices with them,” Jabir said with a smile.

Jin Yiqun, an engineer in the product technology department, told a reporter: “Since arriving in Egypt, I’ve found that the workshop’s top and second-in-command are both former apprentices I trained at China Jushi’s headquarters. Now they’ve all grown into key personnel capable of shouldering major responsibilities on their own. This has naturally filled me with a sense of warmth as I work side by side with my Egyptian colleagues thousands of miles from home.”

Jin Yiqun joined Jushi Egypt in 2016. He said, “We’ve worked together for ten years, and we’ve always been partners. Over the years, my Egyptian colleagues and I have developed a deep rapport through constant collaboration. Now, sometimes we can grasp each other’s meaning with just a few simple words—or even a single glance.”

The Sino‑Egyptian TEDA Suez Economic and Trade Cooperation Zone, where Jushi Egypt is located, lies in Egypt’s Suez Governorate and is a flagship project under the China‑Egypt joint Belt and Road Initiative. By the end of 2025, the zone will have attracted more than 200 enterprises, including Jushi Egypt, creating over 10,000 direct jobs for the local workforce. While helping Egypt upgrade its manufacturing sector, Chinese companies have also cultivated a substantial pool of skilled professionals capable of supporting the country’s future industrial development.

In the dishwasher production workshop of Midea Egypt Kitchen and Water Heater Co., Ltd., located in the TEDA Cooperation Zone, Egyptian employee Mariam is guiding her colleagues as they move between the machines, conducting their weekly routine quality‑inspection training.

“Internationally renowned companies have set up shop right on my doorstep.” Mariam, a resident of Suez Governorate, joined the Midea Group in 2022 after studying Chinese at Suez Canal University. From witnessing the rollout of the first dishwasher in March 2023 to today, when the production line boasts an annual capacity of 350,000 units, Mariam has grown alongside the company to become the head of the Quality Inspection Department.

“A rigorous work ethic, a strong emphasis on teamwork, and putting the customer first—these are all lessons I’ve learned from my Chinese colleagues,” said Maryam. Since Egypt lacks established quality‑inspection standards for smart dishwashers, she traveled to Foshan, Guangdong, China, in 2023 to spend two months intensively training in machine testing, standard‑setting, and related skills.

In her spare time, Maryam teaches Chinese colleagues language lessons, and they learn from one another, each building on the other’s strengths. She says that after spending a long time with her Chinese coworkers, even her way of thinking has begun to shift. “By studying different cultures and histories, I’ve become more confident and have grown in meaningful ways.”

Yang Yang, Director of Operations and Human Resources at Midea Egypt Kitchen & Water Heater Co., Ltd., told reporters that the company currently employs more than 580 Egyptian nationals, adding, “Over 85% of the company’s managerial staff have risen through the ranks, starting from frontline positions.”

On April 20, at the Sino-Egyptian TEDA Suez Economic and Trade Cooperation Zone in Egypt’s Suez Governorate, Jin Yiqun, a technical engineer specializing in product technology at Jushi Egypt Fiberglass Co., Ltd. (left), and Jabir, manager of the Planning and Logistics Department, converse in the production workshop. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Zhang Haobo.

On April 20, at the Sino-Egyptian TEDA Suez Economic and Trade Cooperation Zone in Egypt’s Suez Governorate, Jin Yiqun, a technical engineer specializing in product technology at Jushi Egypt Fiberglass Co., Ltd., inspected the operation of equipment in the production workshop. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Zhang Haobo.

On April 20, at the Sino-Egyptian Teda Suez Economic and Trade Cooperation Zone in Egypt’s Suez Governorate, Maryam, head of the quality inspection department at Midea Egypt Kitchen and Water Heater Co., Ltd. (far left), conducted quality‑inspection training for employees. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Zhang Haobo.

On April 20, at the Sino-Egyptian Teda Suez Economic and Trade Cooperation Zone in Egypt’s Suez Governorate, Maryam, head of the quality‑inspection department at Midea Egypt Kitchen and Water Heater Co., Ltd., conducted quality‑control training for employees. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Zhang Haobo.

On April 20, at the Sino-Egyptian Teda Suez Economic and Trade Cooperation Zone in Egypt’s Suez Governorate, Maryam, head of the quality inspection department at Midea Egypt Kitchen and Water Heater Co., Ltd., displayed the Chinese characters she had written: “Perseverance leads to victory.” Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Zhang Haobo.

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