🗺️ Chinese President Xi Jinping met Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi at Cairo’s Ittihadiya Palace on 2 September during Xi’s first visit to Egypt in a decade. 🇨🇳🇪🇬
Egypt said the state-visit reception included a 21-gun salute and the two countries’ national anthems. The trip coincides with 70 years of diplomatic relations.
📰 The talks come as China and Egypt broaden cooperation beyond trade and infrastructure to technology, advanced manufacturing and defence. AP reported more than $10 billion in Chinese investment in Egypt and estimated annual trade at $20 billion.
Chinese-backed projects include a business hub east of Cairo, rail infrastructure in the Nile Delta and an industrial zone near the Suez Canal. Euronews reported that the zone hosts more than 200 companies and, according to Chinese figures, more than 10,000 direct jobs.
What comes next is implementation of the countries’ stated agenda, including investment and technology cooperation. Their second joint air-force exercise was under way in Egypt during the visit, while the United States remains Cairo’s longstanding security partner.