Exploration of China's Publishing Cooperation Modes with Arab Countries from the Perspective of Civilizational Mutual Learning: A Comparative Study Based on Sino-Egypt and Sino-UAE Publishing Cooperation

Against the deepening Belt and Road Initiative, Sino-Arab publishing cooperation has become a key channel for mutual learning and people-to-people bonds in civilizations. The 10th Ministerial Conference of the Sino-Arab States Cooperation Forum in May 2024 elevated cultural collaboration to a pillar of the Sino-Arab community with a shared future, highlighting the strategic need to publish partnerships to go beyond economic ties and fill research gaps—existing studies often focus on policies or translations while neglecting operational mechanisms and market effectiveness. Based on cross-cultural communication theory, this paper uses a comparative case study approach to analyze two representative Arab publishing markets: Egypt, a traditional, culturally rich ecosystem, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), an emerging, digital international hub. It systematically compares the mechanisms, strategies, and effects of Sino-Egypt and Sino-UAE publishing cooperation through primary survey data covering market structures, reader preferences, sales channels, and dissemination outcomes. The analysis identifies two distinct cooperation models. The Sino-Egypt model is "node radiation," centered on local publishers such as Hekmat Cultural Industry Group. Acting as a core node, it integrates Chinese upstream resources (e.g., the Silk Road Book Fragrance Project, which has translated more than 1,000 Chinese titles since 2011) with Arab downstream distribution networks. This model achieves deep cultural adaptation via full-process localization (selection, translation by more than 80 PhD linguists, printing, and release) and uses private commercial channels—wholesaling to more than 140 local bookstores and distributors in Cairo, Rabat, and Riyadh. Representative works such as Xi Jinping's: The Governance of China and A Dream with Transparent Wings have won translation awards at the Cairo International Book Fair, building loyal readerships for Chinese authors such as Yu Hua. In contrast, the Sino-UAE model is characterized as a "platform architecture," leveraging the UAE's high-end infrastructure (e.g., Sharjah Publishing City with zero tariffs) and co-building platforms such as the 2023-launched "China-Gulf Humanities Exchange and Civilizational Mutual Learning Bilingual Library." This top-down model disseminates content through national projects, educational integration (e.g., "Hundred Schools Project" textbooks in UAE curricula, reaching over 100 schools and exported to Lebanon), and grassroots "China Bookshelf" displays in UAE venues, partnering with institutions such as Abu Dhabi University libraries. Theoretically, this study clarifies the generative logics, operational synergies, and efficacy of these models. The "node radiation" has strong market resilience amid Egypt's high inflation but faces node dependency and digital transition issues; "platform architecture" ensures broad coverage yet struggles with retail diffusion in English-dominant markets and high export costs. Empirically, hybrid strategies are needed to mitigate these limitations. Future cooperation should empower "nodes" and "platforms" together—using Egypt's publishers for content adaptation and the UAE's projected.5 billion 2030 market for digital distribution—to shift from translation to "cultural co-creation." Strategic pathways include advancing content innovation, strengthening digital infrastructure, cultivating interdisciplinary talent, and deepening educational publishing integration, thereby boosting sustainable dissemination and cultural recognition for the Sino-Arab shared future.