Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in Cairo on Tuesday evening for a three-day state visit to Egypt, marking his first trip to the country in a decade. The visit carries significant geopolitical implications as China seeks to deepen its relationship with Egypt, a traditional U.S. ally in the Middle East region.
Xi and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi greeted each other with formal ceremonies and are scheduled to hold official talks on Wednesday. The two leaders commemorated 70 years of diplomatic relations by publishing opinion pieces in state-run Egyptian newspapers, with Xi emphasizing expanded collaboration on development initiatives and el-Sissi reaffirming Egypt’s support for China’s position on Taiwan.
China has significantly invested in Egypt’s infrastructure, committing more than $10 billion to projects including a business hub east of Cairo and an electric rail line in the Nile Delta. Bilateral trade between the nations reaches an estimated $20 billion annually, surpassing the $15.7 billion in trade between Egypt and the United States in 2025. Egypt’s strategic positioning at the Suez Canal has become increasingly valuable to China, particularly as oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz face disruptions from regional conflicts.
Egypt joined the BRICS bloc in 2023 and subsequently signed Belt and Road Initiative agreements with China, viewing these partnerships as a means to diversify its strategic alliances beyond traditional Western relationships. Earlier in August, China and Egypt conducted their first joint combat air exercise, involving China’s J-16 fighter jets and Egypt’s Rafale fighters across multiple Egyptian military bases.
China has positioned itself as a regional mediator in Middle Eastern affairs, brokering diplomatic agreements and advocating for conflict resolution. The visit follows Xi’s attendance at a Shanghai Cooperation Organization conference in Kyrgyzstan, which included leaders from Russia, India, Pakistan, and Iran, reinforcing China’s efforts to establish itself as a counterweight to U.S. global influence.
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