Why Egypt draws fire when Chinese question the West’s version of world history

Rising Chinese scepticism towards Western classical history and its scholarly framework has found its latest target in ancient Egyptian treasures, adding an unexpected twist to the two countries’ long-term partnership.

From July last year until August this year, the Shanghai Museum hosted a major exhibition on ancient Egypt, marking the first collaboration between a Chinese state-run museum and the Egyptian government.

The exhibition caught the attention of Huang Heqing, a retired art history professor at Zhejiang University, in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province.

Huang, who obtained his doctorate from the Sorbonne in Paris, singled out a pair of grass sandals from the exhibition.