Chinese President Xi Jinping touched down at Cairo International Airport on Tuesday, marking his first visit to Egypt in ten years. The ceremony featured a red carpet, uniformed soldiers, folk dancers and crowds of young Egyptians waving Chinese flags, according to Egyptian state television.
Strengthening China‑Egypt partnership
President Abdel Fattah al‑Sisi greeted Xi and praised the two nations as “close brothers standing by each other” in the face of imperialism and colonialism. In an op‑ed for the state newspaper Al‑Ahram, Sisi wrote that Egypt and China are partners working together to boost the Global South’s role in the international system.
The visit follows a recent Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in Kyrgyzstan, where Xi met Russian President Vladimir Putin and other regional leaders. Xi is expected to travel to India and the United States later this month.
Military drills and strategic autonomy
Last month Egypt hosted the second annual joint military exercises with China, a program launched last year to diversify its security partnerships. The drills featured China’s J‑16 fighter jets operating alongside French‑made Rafale aircraft, and even saw a Chinese air‑force tanker refuel a Rafale, giving Beijing a rare look at Western equipment.
Egypt receives roughly $1.3 billion a year in U.S. military aid, yet analysts note that wars in Gaza and Iran have raised questions about American reliability. “Egypt sees itself moving toward greater strategic autonomy,” said H. A. Hellyer of the Royal United Services Institute. “It wants strong relations with Washington, but also Beijing, Moscow, and Europe.”
Economic ties and regional significance
Chinese investment in Egypt has surged, flowing into manufacturing, ports, solar energy, green hydrogen and satellite technology. The partnership is seen as mutually beneficial: Egypt gains diversified development funds, while China secures a foothold in a country that controls the vital Suez Canal and borders Israel, Sudan and Libya.
“Egypt was an obvious choice for Xi because it sits at the heart of many regional issues,” said Eric Olander, co‑founder of the China Global South Project. “It touches on Israel and the Palestinian issue, Africa, and the Persian Gulf.”
The visit underscores a broader shift in Middle East alliances as nations look beyond the United States for security and economic cooperation amid the ongoing Iran war.
Original reporting: Appleton, WI News Feed (HLL/CB) — read the source article.
