From then on, Liu and the others in the cross-talk club no longer viewed Musab as a "foreign practitioner"; instead, Liu said: "We removed the 'foreign' label and started viewing him just like every other fellow comedian here. As his partner, I hope he can continue to be a qualified Chinese cross-talk comedian, accepted and understood by all."

Looking abroad

A popular comedian representing his comedy club and nation in his life, interviews and documentaries, Musab's remarkable journey is a testament to the power of his perseverance in overcoming language barriers and fostering cross-cultural understanding, they said.

Musab said that he is planning a trip back home after pandemic travel restrictions had separated him and his family in Jordan for almost four years.

But he will continue his cross-talk career, he said.

"I would love to keep performing in Jordan or China; I would also love to introduce xiangsheng to more Jordanians and Arabs, for them to learn xiangsheng and its theatrical, artistic aspects," Musab said.

"Musab is going to make it happen, I am sure," Bo said.