Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi welcomed China’s President Xi Jinping in Cairo this Tuesday for his first official visit since 2016, focused on deepening bilateral cooperation and reviewing regional stability on the 70th anniversary of diplomatic ties.
The two leaders met amid a complex security landscape in Western Asia, with consultations planned on both bilateral and international affairs. Cairo’s main thoroughfares, including Salah Salem, were decorated with flags and banners celebrating the friendship between the two nations.
The reception extended beyond official protocol. Students at Ain Shams University greeted the Chinese delegation in Mandarin, and a 12-year-old girl displayed drawings of Chinese monuments as a gesture of affection toward the Asian nation.
Egypt’s presidential spokesperson, Ambassador Mohamed el-Shennawy, said the encounter seeks to follow up on the implementation of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership agreed in 2014. The agenda also included consultations on regional and international matters.
China’s Foreign Ministry stated last week that bilateral relations are at their best moment in history and that this trip would set the course for future ties. Experts note the two leaders have met more than 10 times over the past decade, consolidating what analysts call solid strategic guidance between Beijing and Cairo.
Text reads: “I am in Cairo to witness the historic moment of friendship between China and Egypt! Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in Cairo for a state visit to Egypt. Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi and his wife welcomed Xi and his wife, Peng Liyuan, at Cairo International Airport.”
Trade and Investment Grow
The economic relationship underpins the diplomatic warmth. China has consolidated its position as Egypt’s leading trade partner in non-oil goods. According to the State Information Service, bilateral exchange reached nearly $20.7 billion by the end of 2025.
Egyptian exports to China climbed almost 200%, totaling $840.8 million dollars in the first half of 2026, while imports reached $10.4 billion, according to the Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics.
Chinese investment concentrates heavily in the Suez Canal zone, a critical corridor for Eurasian trade. In the TEDA China-Egypt cooperation area at Ain Sokhna, promoted under Beijing’s Belt and Road Initiative, around 200 companies operate with capital exceeding $3.8 billion dollars.
“For seven decades, the China-Egypt relationship has defied wind and rain, and withstood the test of the changing international landscape. Both sides strongly support the just cause of the Palestinian people to restore their legitimate national rights, and both are committed to facilitating political resolution of critical issues and achieving peace and stability in the region,” said Xi Jinping.
China’s stated support for Egyptian concerns over the project adds a layer of strategic alignment to a relationship built increasingly on investment and infrastructure.
The visit concludes with expectations of expanded cooperation across trade, energy, and regional diplomacy, as both governments look to anchor a partnership now entering its eighth decade.
Author: Laura V. Mor
Source: Agencies
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