Our shared vision
The Sino-Arabica Project emerged in the spring of 2024 as an informal network of young scholars and professionals who discovered one another thanks to a common interest in varied but complementary aspects of China-Mideast relations, ranging from linguistics and the visual arts to geopolitical developments and investment trends.
Over the course of several in-person and virtual meetings among a diverse and organically expanding group of individuals, all passionate about this civilizational intersection and largely based in or between the two regions concerned, it became clear that there was potential for a unique collaboration by members of our network.
The shared aims that have emerged from our interactions are essentially twofold. On the one hand, we seek to explore this space together in a spirit of mutual respect and appreciation, benefiting one and all from the enormously rich and contrasting set of standpoints represented within our ranks. On the other hand, we are building a platform where emerging specialists from within and outside our network can contribute insights from their research or other forms of engagement, thereby enriching public discourse on topics of consequence and fostering constructive, solution-oriented dialogue.
Our team
Managing Director &
Editor-in-Chief
Raphael Angieri
Raphael is a translator and analyst of international affairs. Currently based at the American University in Cairo as a Fulbright Fellow, he has over a decade of combined field experience between Greater China and the Mideast, the former primarily in Beijing, Shanghai, and Taipei, and the latter in Egypt, Israel/Palestine, and Lebanon. Raphael has consulted on international policy for a diverse range of clients including AlphaSights, China Macro, China Six, Othrys, Oxford Business Group, PwC, Rhodium Group, and the United Nations, with contributions featured by China Digital Times, Euronews, France 24, The China-Global South Project, and The Guardian. He holds a B.Sc. in International Affairs from Georgetown University and a Master’s in International Development from Sciences Po Paris. Beyond his native English and near-native French, Raphael is fluent in Mandarin Chinese and Arabic.
Creative Director &
Program Development Head
Sama Aziz
Sama is a multi-media designer and economist with research experience in public policy and international trade. She has held positions in Arab-American and civil liberties organizations, including the American Civil Liberties Union, where she served as a precinct captain. Sama holds a BA in Economics and German from San Diego State University, where she served as a research affiliate at the Center for Health Economics and Policy Studies. Currently based out of Beijing, she is completing her master’s thesis research at Peking University, where she is a Yenching Scholar. Sama is fluent in Arabic, English, and German.
Chief Operating Officer
Hongda Zhang
A native of coastal China, HD has been interested in the Mideast since childhood. Today, as a confirmed travel junky holding a Chinese passport, he has trekked across nine different countries of the Mideast, notably Iran, Iraq, and Syria. When he is not criss-crossing Eurasia, HD works in the Chinese domestic energy sector, and has a penchant for composing industrial insight commentaries on China-Mideast cooperation in the field of renewable energy. He holds a Master of Economics from Peking University, with research interests including energy economics, monetary economics, and empirical studies.
Arabic Language Editor
Fourat El Khoury
Fourat is a writer, translator, and Arabic language teacher from Lebanon. Currently based in Beirut, he specializes in teaching Levantine Arabic as a second language, for which he has designed a comprehensive curriculum: The Modern Lebanese Arabic Series. He has also worked as a Chinese-Arabic interpreter for China Construction, on a China Aid-financed project underway in Dbayeh, North Beirut. Fourat previously studied in China through a Confucius Institute scholarship, and speaks English, French, and Spanish in addition to Arabic and Mandarin Chinese.
Data Observatory Lead
Zhencen Liu
Born and raised in Southwest China, Zhencen is an early-career economist holding a Ph.D. in Economics from Peking University. Her research interests span political economy, public economics, and international governance. Currently, she is engaged in tracking China’s macroeconomic trends as a consultant for the World Bank, with a growing focus on regional dynamics, particularly the evolving economic ties between the Mideast and China.
Chinese Social Media Coordinator
Huayi Shen
Huayi is an early-career professional passionate about China-Mideast cooperation. Born and raised in China, he recently graduated with a degree in Arabic from the University of International Business and Economics in Beijing. He previously studied abroad at Cairo University and the American University in Cairo, where he focused on Modern Standard Arabic and Egyptian dialect. Huayi has experience across several industries, including stints in journalism at China Media Group, artificial intelligence at 4Paradigm, and e-commerce at BDA Consulting. During his studies in Cairo, Huayi also worked as a Chinese-Arabic interpreter. He is now engaged as a logistics-focused Management Trainee at Sinotrans Middle East, a Chinese-Saudi joint venture in Dammam, Saudi Arabia.
Policy Monitor Lead
Omnia Musa
Omnia is a policy specialist with a focus on geopolitical strategy, transitional justice, and stakeholder engagement. Having grown up in both Arab and Chinese contexts, she brings a multifaceted perspective to her engagement with the two regions. Omnia has worked in Iraq on civilian protection programs, and continues to engage in research and policy development focusing on the Mideast, Africa, and China-Mideast relations. A graduate of Tsinghua University, Omnia is a native speaker of Arabic and Mandarin Chinese with a commitment to advancing informed and impactful policy solutions. She is currently based in the UAE.