Last week, the Chinese Islamic College held its opening ceremony for the 2024-2025 academic year in the college's hall. The event was chaired by Yang Faming, President of the Chinese Islamic Association and President of the Chinese Islamic College, who delivered the opening speech. The ceremony also featured participation from Mo Kefa, Vice President of the Chinese Islamic Association and Executive Vice President of the Chinese Islamic College, and Secretary General Ma Zhongbing.

In his speech, President Yang Faming warmly welcomed the new students, urging them to keep their great motherland in mind, continue their studies with enthusiasm and the striving spirit of youth, and seek to meet the expectations and dreams of the country.

He emphasized the importance of rising to the level of the new era, integrating patriotism, and having the ambition to serve the country in the great cause of building a strong nation and reviving its youth. He called for the development of professional skills and talents to achieve the dual goal of mastering both Islamic sciences and traditional Chinese culture excellently, aiming for integration to graduate high-level generations armed with Islamic knowledge and love for the homeland, thus adding a Chinese touch to Islam in China without compromising the correct religious teachings.

During the ceremony, representatives of both new and returning students at the Chinese Islamic College delivered speeches, emphasizing the need to keep in mind the “great dream of the country,” work diligently, and study hard to rise to the level of the era and serve their motherland in the future.

On the sidelines of the event, students who achieved outstanding results were honored, and scholarships were distributed to the top students. President Yang Faming also awarded a certificate of appreciation on behalf of Han Wenqi, President of the Qinghai Hui Salar Relief Association, in recognition of his outstanding efforts.

During the ceremony, the “Green Scholarship” was announced, with a total value of 485,000 yuan (approximately $70,000). This scholarship will be used to support 46 master's and doctoral students at the Chinese Islamic College, including 41 master's students with a monthly allowance of 1,000 yuan and 5 doctoral students with a monthly allowance of 1,500 yuan.

The opening ceremony was attended by all teachers and students of the Chinese Islamic College. Formerly known as the “Institute of Islamic Sciences,” the Chinese Islamic College is the official Islamic educational institution in China, with 10 branches in 10 regions and provinces across the country, all bearing the same name.

The college was established in 1955 after merging Islamic institutes and schools in Beijing into a single institution named “Huimin Islamic College” (Huimin means Muslim people). It was later renamed the “Institute of Islamic Sciences” and retained this name until 2022 when the Chinese Islamic Association renamed it the “Chinese Islamic College.”

Since its founding, the college has welcomed hundreds of students from various provinces in China, though it ceased operations and closed its doors during the Cultural Revolution (1966-1976), then reopened again in 1982.

Since resuming its operations in 1982, the college has successively held training and university courses, graduating hundreds of imams who have taken up roles in various mosques across China. Starting in 1996, the duration of undergraduate study was shortened from 5 to 4 years.

The Chinese Islamic College has now established an educational system from bachelor's to master's to doctoral levels, and a high-level Islamic training system. It has become an educational, research, and training base for Chinese Islamic education, continuously nurturing high-level economic talents for the Chinese Muslim community.

The Chinese Islamic College is located in the Niujie area, home to a large Muslim population in Beijing. The college originally covered an area of approximately 10,000 square meters. After reconstruction and expansion, the building area reached 22,000 square meters. The main buildings of the college include teaching buildings, student residences, a conference hall, a library, and a prayer hall attached to the teaching building.

The college library now houses over 60,000 books in Chinese, Arabic, Persian, English, Urdu, and other languages, including some old and valuable manuscripts of the Quran in Arabic.

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Some people think that the Muslims of China are only the Uyghurs, and it's no wonder, as the media focuses heavily on them due to the severe repression they face. However, the reality is that the Muslims of China are divided into 10 different ethnic groups, each with its own unique characteristics. This is what we will explore together. But first, it's important to know that China has 55 ethnic minorities, 10 of which are Muslim, with an official population of about 30 million people combined. However, in reality, their numbers far exceed this figure.

We can begin by dividing these ten Muslim ethnic groups into two main categories. The first group consists of four ethnicities: Hui, Dongxiang, Salar, and Bao'an.

These four ethnic groups are of Arab and Persian origin. Their ancestors arrived in China a long time ago for trade and other purposes, and they settled there, intermarrying with the Chinese. As a result, they are almost indistinguishable from the native Chinese in terms of appearance, language, customs, and traditions, even in their names. However, they avoid the prohibitions and forbidden acts of Islam. They can be distinguished from non-Muslim Chinese by their gathering places or when they wear Islamic attire.

The second group consists of six ethnicities: Uyghur, Kazakh, Kyrgyz, Uzbek, Tajik, and Tatar.

These groups are of Turkic and Tatar origin, and they differ from the Chinese in their appearance, customs, traditions, and languages. They live in what was formerly known as East Turkestan, now called the Xinjiang region, which has an autonomous governance system for the Uyghur ethnicity. This system was established by Communist China, and while the governor is from the ethnic minority with the majority population, in reality, he follows the central government's directives and implements its policies. Due to the ethnic differences, particularly with the Uyghur ethnicity, which forms the majority of the population in this region, Xinjiang has seen heightened security measures and restrictions in many religious and other areas.

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The relationship between politics and certain concepts, such as human values and ethics, is often a subject of debate. Some believe that politics should adhere to ethical rules rather than interests, while others argue that interests play a strong role in shaping the positions and decisions of states. They point out that in the realm of politics, it is unclear how interests intertwine, and they assert that during crises, every country acts according to its own interests.

Therefore, when examining the stance of any given country on a particular issue, it is important to consider that relations between countries are often based on mutual interests, which may shift over time. This prevents us from forming judgments driven by emotions, which often lead our people to make misguided decisions.

Between all of this, it seems necessary to act objectively in response to events and to align with the humanitarian side, rather than taking positions based on interests aligned with one party or another.

When looking at China's policies towards our Arab region, we see that China is one of the influential countries in the geopolitical arena. Its policies are driven by interests. Beijing has managed to maintain good relations with Arab and Islamic countries as part of its struggle against American imperialism while simultaneously preserving its economic interests with “Israel,” a key U.S. ally.

China Strives to Please All Parties

Not long ago, China adopted a policy of “friends with everyone.” However, its policies toward the Arab region are now undergoing significant geopolitical and geostrategic transformations, especially after the genocide in Gaza. Despite China's interest in the region and its desire to play a regional role in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, new rules have emerged that guide its policies, particularly regarding its relations with “Israel” and the major global powers. These shifts signal major changes in the global power structure.

In general, China's policies dangle between all sides. It cannot afford to align with just one party because it needs all of them to fulfill its interests. China needs “Israel,” as it is its largest trading partner in East Asia. China has sought to benefit from “Israel's” expertise in solar energy, robotics, irrigation, construction, agriculture, and water management.

At the same time, China needs Iran as an ally and wants to invest in its relationships with Arab countries while maintaining strong ties with their sworn enemy, “Israel.” Historically, Beijing has tried to balance its relations with “Israel” while simultaneously presenting itself as a champion for Palestinians on the global stage.

The History of Sino-Israeli Relations

In 1950, “Israel” recognized China, but just one year later, in 1951, the United States pressured “Israel” to freeze its relations with China due to the U.S.-Chinese conflict during the Korean War. There were no official relations between the two countries for more than 40 years. Chinese leader Mao Zedong adopted an anti-Israel stance, seeing both “Israel” and Taiwan as imperialist bases in Asia, established by the West against the Arabs and China.

In 1988, Beijing recognized Palestine and invited the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) to send a semi-diplomatic mission to China. This was the first such mission for Palestine in a non-Arab country.

After the collapse of the Soviet Union and the Madrid Peace Conference, developments in bilateral relations led to the establishment of diplomatic ties in 1992. In 2000, the Chinese president made a historic visit to “Israel,” and former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert visited Beijing in 2007, resulting in numerous agreements.

In return, “Israel” has carefully balanced its relationship with China while maintaining its close ties with the United States. However, a major shift in bilateral relations occurred in 2013, coinciding with tensions between Netanyahu's government and the former Obama administration.

Mutual Interests Drive Sino-Israeli Relations

Shared interests push “Israel” to deepen its ties with China's economy, which is considered one of the fastest-growing economies, while also being cautious against the potential rise of China as a dominant global power. According to a 2019 study by the RAND Corporation, Beijing is keen to increase investment in Israeli infrastructure and encourage its involvement in the Belt and Road Initiative as part of its efforts to undermine Washington's ties with allied nations.

Challenges Facing Sino-Israeli Relations

Washington views China as a global competitor and is concerned about the transfer of any technology that could provide China with military superiority. As a result, Washington remains an obstacle in Sino-Israeli relations. In 2000, the U.S. forced “Israel” to cancel the sale of the airborne radar system Falcon to the Chinese military, though it allowed “Israel” to sell it to India three years later.

Meanwhile, Israel's growing military relations with India present a challenge to Beijing. India accounted for 33% of Israel's total arms exports between 2001 and 2021. Additionally, China's military ties with Iran present another challenge. China is Iran's largest importer of oil and has helped Tehran bolster its military capabilities by selling it ballistic missiles and anti-ship weapons.

China's Relations with the Arab World

In December 2022, several agreements and memoranda of understanding were signed between China and Saudi Arabia, including plans to align Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030 with China's Belt and Road Initiative, as well as a memorandum of understanding in the field of hydrogen energy and agreements in the fields of security and investment promotion. Chinese tourism to Saudi Arabia has also seen significant promotion.

Since 2013, China has become Saudi Arabia's largest trading partner, and in 2022, bilateral trade between the two countries exceeded $116 billion, representing a 33.1% year-on-year increase. Recently, Saudi Arabia introduced the teaching of Chinese in all the government secondary schools, marking the first such initiative by an Arab country. All of these understandings and agreements bring enormous economic benefits to China.

China Becomes a Key Player in the Arab Region

On June 14, 2023, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas visited China. During his visit, Beijing affirmed its support for the Palestinian people's right to self-determination and emphasized the two-state solution.

Beijing has also demonstrated its role as a key mediator between the Palestinians and as a reliable partner in addressing regional issues. In June, China succeeded in bringing together all Palestinian factions, inviting 14 Palestinian groups to a national meeting in Beijing, where they agreed to achieve comprehensive national unity within the framework of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), in what became known as the “Beijing Agreement.”

In May, Beijing hosted the 10th ministerial meeting of the China-Arab States Cooperation Forum, which coincided with the 20th anniversary of its founding in 2004. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi noted that one of the most significant outcomes of the meeting was that President Xi Jinping responded to the decision made at the Arab League summit by announcing that the second China-Arab summit would be held in China in 2026.

China's Role in Mediating Between Saudi Arabia and Iran

China also successfully mediated the resumption of diplomatic relations between Saudi Arabia and Iran, which had been severed since 2016. After seven years of estrangement, the two countries agreed to restore diplomatic ties following negotiations hosted by China.

China's Growing Role at the Expense of U.S. Influence

The New York Times observed that China's role in the Middle East is growing economically and politically, while U.S. influence in the region is shrinking. The Washington Post described this development as a significant breakthrough in a bitter rivalry, highlighting the failure of former President Obama's attempts to mend relations between Saudi Arabia and Iran. Obama had viewed the conflict between the two nations as a source of sectarian tension in the region.

The Humanitarian Crisis in Gaza

The humanitarian crisis in Gaza has greatly impacted China's previous “friends with everyone” policy. In the past, Beijing aimed to avoid taking sides in conflicts that did not directly affect it. However, more recently, China has begun to view such conflicts as opportunities to turn diplomatic pressure and global public opinion against Washington. This approach has led China to side against U.S. allies, such as “Israel” and Ukraine, purely to score points against the West. Beijing, alongside Russia, used its veto power in the UN Security Council to block a U.S.-sponsored resolution condemning Hamas and not calling for a ceasefire. In response, “Israel” joined 50 other countries at the UN in October to condemn China's actions against the Uyghur people in East Turkestan.

Based on the above, it is expected that the political gap between the two countries will widen, in contrast to the situation over the past decade. Here we can say that China's interests are the primary driver behind its pro-Arab positions. In this historical moment, Chinese and Arab interests have aligned. Is there anyone to capitalize on this for the benefit of our people?

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1. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/10/28/world/asia/china-israel-hamas-antisemitism.html
2. https://www.washingtoninstitute.org/ar/policy-analysis/lmadha-tnhaz-alsyn-dd-asrayyl-wlmadha-syaty-dhlk-ly-alarjh-bntayj-ksyt
3. https://www.rand.org/pubs/research_reports/RR2641.html
4. https://www.spa.gov.sa/w1824251
5. https://www.cairn.info/revue-confluences-mediterranee-2019-2-page-147.htm?ref=doi
6. https://www.jstor.org/stable/48600106

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Ramadan holds a uniqueness for the Muslims in China, as they make sure to pray, fast, and get closer to Allah the Almighty through righteous deeds such as charity, visiting relatives, and preparing iftar meals inside mosques. In Chinese, Ramadan is referred to as “Zhāi yuè,” meaning abstaining from food and drink for a sacred purpose.

Chinese Muslims also adorn their mosques with Chinese lanterns, flags, and banners welcoming the arrival of the holy month.

This year, Ramadan began on March 11th, according to the Chinese Islamic Association, which determines the beginning and end of the fasting month based on astronomical calculations, the Chinese lunar calendar, and the Islamic calendar. All 35 thousand mosques across China are notified of the beginning and end of the month so that Muslims can prepare for the sacred month.

Ramadan Crescent Moon

Muslims in China used to traditionally observe the Ramadan crescent inside mosques, where they dedicated a specific building called the “Crescent Observation Tower” for this purpose. Although circumstances have changed and modern devices are now used for moon sighting, the Islamic Association still determines the beginning and end of the month on behalf of the Muslim community. However, these buildings are still standing, bearing the same name, and still exist today, holding the same sanctity and reverence among Chinese Muslims.

Muslims prepare for this blessed month by fasting during its days, enduring the hardships of hunger and thirst in a society that knows little about Ramadan. Yet they seek rewards from Allah the Almighty.

After breaking their fast, Muslims gather, wearing white caps, at the nearest mosque from their homes to perform the Taraweeh prayers, exchanging greetings, congratulations, and supplications for a peaceful Ramadan.

Some mosques host iftar meals for Muslims every day during Ramadan, turning the time of breaking the fast into a gathering and entertainment for Muslims after a long fasting day.

During the Taraweeh prayer, Muslims perform twenty rak'ahs of prayers. Between each set of two rak'ahs, they repeat the du’a: “O Turner of the hearts and the eyes, O Creator of the night and the day” (three times). And between every four rak'ahs, they praise Allah Almighty, saying, “Glory be to the Master of dominion, of power, of Majesty; glory be to the King; He is living and does not die. Allah, the Most Glorious. The Most Holy. The Rubb of the Angels and of Jibril” (three times).

As for the Quranic ayahs recited during the Taraweeh prayers, they begin with Surah Al-Fil and end with Surah An-Nas (twice). After the completion of 18 rak'ahs, they say, “There is no God but Allah, the King, the Truth, the Manifest; Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, the truthful, the trustworthy.” And after 20 rak'ahs, they say, “O Allah, we ask You for Paradise, and we seek Your protection from the Fire. O Glorious, O most merciful of the merciful ones.” After that, they perform the Witr prayer collectively, recite dhikr, and conclude with a supplication to Allah the Almighty.

 Ramadan in various Chinese regions:

• In the capital Beijing:

You may not sense any religious vibes in the streets of Beijing during Ramadan, but in areas with Muslim gatherings, you can get strong Ramadan vibes in the streets and mosques adorned to celebrate the blessed month.

The 250,000 Muslims in Beijing consider Ramadan the happiest and most honorable month of the year, with most of them keen on fasting and spending the month in a peaceful, joyful, and harmonious atmosphere.

Niujie Street is the largest Muslim gathering place in Beijing, with around 20,000 Muslims residing there.

During Ramadan, over a thousand Muslims pray at Niujie Mosque, the largest mosque in Beijing. This historic mosque holds unforgettable memories during Ramadan, while Islamic shops and restaurants line both sides of the street.

• Ramadan in the Northwest:

Compared to the major cities of China, Ramadan in the northwest is more distinct and beautiful, where the majority of Muslims reside. In Ningxia, the vibes of Ramadan are clearer, especially around mosques. Before the Maghrib adhan, Muslims gather around iftar tables inside mosques, enjoying hot dishes, fresh fruits, sweets and pastries.

During prayers, mosques become crowded as worshippers perform the Taraweeh and Isha prayers, in a delightful scene that makes you feel like you're in an Arab country.

As for Qinghai in the far northwest, Muslims prepare for Ramadan with great anticipation, adorning mosques with lights and flags and gathering Muslims of various ethnicities and Quran memorizers to finish reciting it. Additionally, among the well-off Muslims of Qinghai, there is a noble tradition of inviting fellow Muslims to iftar in their homes, exchanging invitations throughout the month. These invitations serve as an opportunity to strengthen bonds of friendship and love among the Muslim community.

Many Muslims seek great reward during Ramadan, arranging gifts, material goods, and money to visit needy Muslims, orphans, and widows. They extend their care and concern to them with their support and attention.

• Ramadan in Southern China:

The vibes of Ramadan in southern China are not much different from those in the north. However, in some commercial cities, like Guangzhou and Yiwu, there's a distinct Arabic touch. These cities are home to many Arab expatriates, including traders and others, who celebrate this holy month with an atmosphere reminiscent of our Arab countries.

Arabic restaurants and shops offering traditional Arab Ramadan dishes like Knafeh, Qatayef, and fresh juices are widespread in these cities.

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