President Xi Jinping met with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi in Cairo to discuss regional security and expand economic cooperation.
Key facts
- •President Xi Jinping and President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi met at the Ittihadiya presidential palace in Cairo.
- •The Egyptian-Chinese industrial zone at the Suez Canal currently hosts 200 companies and $4 billion in investments.
- •Egypt receives $1.3 billion in annual military aid from the United States.
- •The Mecca Defence Alliance, signed last month by Saudi Arabia, Turkiye, and Pakistan, includes a collective defense clause.
- •Xi is scheduled to visit the Grand Egyptian Museum near the Giza Pyramids following his meetings.
Chinese President Xi Jinping visited Cairo on Wednesday for meetings with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, marking his first visit to the country in a decade. During the talks, Xi called for Middle East nations to reject external interference and pursue a new regional security order. The leaders discussed the ongoing six-month war involving the United States, Israel, and Iran, advocating for diplomatic solutions to reach a comprehensive peace agreement.
By the numbers
Economic Cooperation and Suez Canal Expansion
During the visit, Egypt and China signed an agreement to initiate the third phase of the Egyptian-Chinese industrial zone located at the Suez Canal. The zone currently hosts 200 companies with investments totaling approximately $4 billion. Officials noted that these new investments strengthen Beijing’s presence in the canal zone, a critical global trade artery, as regional conflicts continue to impact traffic in the Strait of Hormuz and the Bab al-Mandeb Strait.
Regional Security and Shifting Alliances
Xi expressed China's readiness to collaborate with regional nations to protect international shipping lanes and address the root causes of conflict. The visit occurs amid a broader regional shift in defense strategies, highlighted by the recent signing of the Mecca Defence Alliance by Saudi Arabia, Turkiye, and Pakistan. This alliance includes a collective defense clause similar to NATO’s Article 5, reflecting a regional trend toward diversifying security arrangements beyond traditional reliance on the United States.
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This article was independently rewritten by ManyPress editorial AI from reporting originally published by Al Jazeera.
