Around 30 Sinologists and translators from North African countries including Egypt, Morocco, and Tunisia, gathered in Rabat, the Moroccan capital, on Dec 22 to discuss mutual learning between civilizations and regional development.

The conference, held at the city's China Cultural Center, has keynote speeches and roundtable dialogues on topics like development of Sinology in North Africa, the translation and publication of Chinese literature in the region, as well as Chinese language education and talent cultivation in the area.

"The history of civilizational exchanges between China and Africa shows that it is only through exchanges and mutual learning can a civilization maintain its vitality," says Ji Bingxuan, head of the Chinese Association for International Understanding.

He stresses the importance of holding dialogue between the two sides, promoting inclusiveness and mutual learning, and suggests that China and the North African countries explore together, within their cultural traditions, the enduring ideas that can contribute to today's development.

The director hopes that the Sinologists can take action to eliminate misunderstanding, misinterpretation and misjudgment caused by cultural differences between countries and their people, and to interpret Chinese civilization and share its wisdom with the world.

Abdel Aziz Hamdi, Sinologist and head of the Chinese language department of Al-Azhar University in Egypt, reviews the more than 20 Chinese literary works he has translated, and pointed out the crucial role that the Chinese authorities, foreign academic institutions and publishers have played in translating and publishing Chinese literature globally.