While my coffee brews, I often shoot the breeze with the barista, Yasmen Sayeed, an Egyptian girl who has been working behind the counter for three years.

To my delightful surprise, despite her limited fluency, Sayeed is able to talk with me in Chinese using some basic phrases.

“I never formally studied Chinese,” she told me, sounding a bit proud. “I picked it up by talking with my Chinese customers.”

“Since I speak with Chinese people almost every day now, my Chinese is getting better than my English,” she joked. “Even though I’m technically still an employee of an American brand.”

My interactions with Sayeed echoed what I have encountered throughout the region.

During my travels across different Middle Eastern countries, I often find myself greeted with warm smiles and friendly waves from locals speaking Chinese. The Confucius Institutes, which promote the Chinese language, have seen record enrollment numbers in the region. In Saudi Arabia, the government has even incorporated Chinese language courses into the primary and secondary school curriculum. For many Middle Easterners, learning Chinese is all the rage.

The growing acceptance of the Chinese language epitomizes the rapid increase in China's popularity in the region.

A 2020 survey by Arab Barometer found that China is perceived as the most popular global power among countries in the Middle East and North Africa.

In 2023, the Dubai-based public relations agency Asda'a BCW carried out a survey involving 3,600 youths aged 18 to 24 across 53 cities in 18 Arab nations. The results revealed that 80 percent of participants consider China a close partner, positioning it as the most favored non-Middle Eastern country among Arab youth.

The meteoric rise in China's popularity in the region has left some analysts scratching their heads, particularly those from certain Western countries, which have seen their approval ratings take a nosedive in recent years.

Actually, the true reason behind China's increasing favorability lies in the rising Eastern country’s genuine heed to, and proactive efforts in addressing the two most pressing aspirations of the Middle Eastern populace: peace and development.

In its recent history, China has endured the ravages of war and turmoil, which have given its people a more profound understanding of the essential role peace plays in a nation's prosperity and the well-being of its citizens.

This historical context allows the Chinese populace to cultivate an emotional affinity for the plight of those still ensnared in the agonies of war in the region.

Before the war in Gaza flared up in October of last year, China was actively leveraging its influence to help smooth over tensions and disputes among Middle Eastern nations, laying the groundwork for peace in the region, step by step.

In 2023, facilitated by China's mediation efforts, Saudi Arabia and Iran achieved a historic reconciliation. Subsequently, Qatar and Bahrain decided to restore diplomatic relations, while the bilateral ties between Türkiye and Egypt also ushered in a thaw. A wave of peace started to spread across the Middle East.

Even after the deadly Gaza war erupted, China has continued to go the extra mile to push for regional peace.

At various international occasions, China has advocated for a ceasefire and the prevention of conflict escalation, while firmly supporting the comprehensive implementation of the two-state solution.

In July, at China’s invitation, 14 Palestinian factions convened in Beijing to sign a declaration aimed at ending their divisions and enhancing Palestinian national unity, marking a major step forward in advancing the Palestinian liberation cause and achieving a comprehensive resolution of the Palestinian-Israeli question.

"China is doing something truly meaningful for the Middle East," one of my Palestinian colleagues, who managed to leave Gaza after the war erupted, told me after seeing the news of China facilitating reconciliation among the Palestinian factions. "The destiny of the Palestinians hinges on their unity."

Compared to other major global powers, China's unwavering dedication to peace, which takes into account the interests of all stakeholders -- whether rich or poor, big or small -- serves as the bedrock for earning greater recognition from the people of the region.

In addition to its commitment to a peaceful Middle East, China has rolled out a series of mechanisms and initiatives, such as the building of a China-Arab community with a shared future, to promote its vision of mutual development with the Middle Eastern states. A key player in this effort is the Belt and Road Initiative.

Since the inception of the initiative in 2013, China and states in the region have significantly enhanced their ties across a spectrum of domains like economy, culture, and technology by advancing Belt and Road collaboration.

The increasingly seamless exchange of key developmental elements, ranging from technology to skilled personnel, is helping foster a closer community bonded by shared development interests of both sides.

The Belt and Road Initiative has also acted as a catalyst for civil interactions. 

Through grand infrastructure ventures like railways, bridges, and industrial parks sprouting across countries in the Middle East, the initiative has generated jobs and improved daily conveniences, enabling local residents to tangibly feel the benefits of partnering with China.

Motivated by the thousands of Belt and Road projects, a growing number of ordinary Chinese citizens are venturing into the region, immersing themselves in various industries and weaving China's presence into the local fabric of life.

In Iraq, over ten thousand Chinese expatriates have established themselves in fields such as construction and retail. In Egypt, a multitude of everyday Chinese citizens thrives as vendors, supermarket owners, and restaurant operators within their communities.

Much like my daily exchanges with Sayeed, these civil engagements have further bolstered mutual understanding and goodwill among the peoples, breathing a continuous vitality into the inter-state relationship between China and the Middle East.

Each day, as I watch Sayeed getting more fluent in speaking Chinese, I realize that to truly get the lay of the land in the region, I should, like Sayeed, take the initiative to learn its language.

Upon learning of my intention to pick up Arabic, Sayeed appeared both delighted and intrigued. "What prompted your decision?" 

“Just as you are trying to know more about China by learning Chinese, I’m also as eager to learn more about your homeland,” I told her.

*Zhao Wencai is a Cairo-based journalist of China’s Xinhua News Agency.