In a move similar to what Hollywood has done for the U.S., China hopes its films and TV shows can bridge cultural gaps and further develop collaboration with Africa, according to a report in ChinaNewsService.

Trade and economic ties between China and Africa have grown, but misunderstandings between the cultures hamper relations, writes Li Lianxing with China Daily.

Tanzanians learned about modern China through the the Chinese soap opera “Mao Doudou and Her Sweet Days,” which debuted in 2011 in several Swahili-speaking countries in East Africa.

Two hit Chinese TV shows dubbed into Swahili are due to be aired during prime time in Tanzania this month. “Father’s Wishes” and “Mother’s Glorious Days” are about the everyday lives of ordinary people who experienced the great changes in China over the past few decades.

Rather than calling this the spread of “soft power”- a term coined by Harvard professor Joseph Nye, China is more likely to see the broadcasting of its TV shows in Africa as a way for African audiences to learn more about contemporary China and how it is changing.

The dissemination of information and culture would not be effective unless it was close and respectful to the indigenous culture, said Wang Gengnian, director-general of China Radio International, which is responsible for dubbing the shows.

More Chinese TV shows, movies and cartoons will be dubbed in English, French, Arabic, Portuguese, Swahili and Hausa, and aired by African TV stations later this year,  ChinaNewsService reports.

Liu Dong, cultural counselor to the Chinese embassy in Tanzania, said the Tanzanian people will learn more about modern China through the TV series.

“They will better understand the developments of China in recent years, as well as the lives of Chinese people. It will deepen the friendship between the two countries,” he said.

Chinese TV shows have been latecomers to African screens. Soap operas from South Korea, the Middle East, the U.S., India and Europe are more familiar.

“I’ve been hearing about the achievements that China has made and how huge the changes have been in the country over the past 30 years, and I’ve seen some pictures on the Internet,” said Paul Udoto, a 36-year-old Tanzanian. “But the TV series, which tell stories of ordinary people, with normal street scenes in China, are more vivid and convincing.”