STORY: Food brings cultures together: Syrian chef
DATELINE: Sept. 13, 2023
LENGTH: 00:00:55
LOCATION: GUANGZHOU, China
CATEGORY: CULTURE

SHOTLIST: 
1. various of Michael making food
2. SOUNDBITE (Chinese and English): MICHAEL, Syrian chef

STORYLINE:

Michael, a chef from Syria, has been in China for 15 years. He believes that food can help bring cultures together.

SOUNDBITE (Chinese and English): MICHAEL, Syrian chef
"My name is Michael. I was born in Damascus, Syria. Now I've been in China for 15 years. 
My father used to do business in China, so I came to China every year to spend holidays. That's why I know China very well. I first came to Guangzhou City in 2004 when I was a teenager. Later, I moved to Italy. When I started job hunting, I realized that there were fewer job opportunities there than in China. So I decided to settle in Guangzhou City.
So food is very important, I think, to express identity and exchange culture. It's also a way to show love. People get together easily. I think food can help bring two cultures together."

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Guangzhou, China.
(XHTV)