Chinese President Xi Jinping is welcomed by Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and his wife First Lady Entissar Amer upon their arrival at Cairo International Airport for an official visit to Egypt, which is his first state visit to the country in 10 years, in Cairo. AFP
The reception featured a warm welcome for Xi, with Egyptian children and young people waving the flags of Egypt and China as they greeted the visiting president, according to the Egyptian presidency.
Egyptian and Chinese citizens also gathered at the airport to welcome Xi and express their friendship, in a display of the longstanding ties between the two peoples.
The visit is aimed at strengthening the two countries' comprehensive strategic partnership and expanding cooperation in political, economic and development fields, according to the Egyptian presidency.
Xi’s visit, his first in a decade, as the two countries mark 70 years of diplomatic relations.
Egypt and China established diplomatic relations in 1956, with Egypt becoming the first Arab and African country to recognize the People’s Republic of China.
Xi’s 1-3 September visit is part of a wider international tour. He is expected to hold talks with El-Sisi on bilateral relations, as well as regional and international issues of mutual concern.
The talks are expected to focus on implementing the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Agreement signed by the two countries in 2014, while expanding economic and development cooperation.
China has become an important economic partner for Egypt, particularly through the Suez Canal Economic Zone, where Chinese companies have established a significant industrial presence.
The two leaders are also expected to discuss regional developments, including the conflict in the Middle East and the Palestinian cause, as well as cooperation on issues affecting developing countries and the wider Global South.
Xi last visited Egypt in January 2016, when the two countries upgraded their relationship and signed a series of agreements covering areas including the economy, energy and infrastructure.
The visit is expected to give fresh momentum to Egypt-China relations as the two countries enter their eighth decade of diplomatic ties.
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