To mark the 70th anniversary of establishing diplomatic ties between the two countries, President Xi – who is not known for frequently visiting foreign countries – is not only visiting Egypt but also making it his only destination, as opposed to including it on a tour of the Middle East or Africa.
As two ancient civilisations that made numerous, crucial contributions to humanity, relations between China and Egypt have not been limited to the past seven decades. But, in recent history, Egypt was the first Arab country to recognise the People’s Republic of China in 1956, and dealt with that great nation as a partner in the struggle for national liberation that dominated the Arab world and Africa at the time.
Beijing supported Egypt’s efforts to reclaim sovereignty over the Suez Canal in 1956 and to end the British occupation that had lasted more than seven decades. In 1971, Cairo voted in favour of restoring the People’s Republic of China’s lawful seat at the United Nations, to be followed by many other Arab and African countries.
The Arab people have also considered China an important ally in supporting their just causes and demands for liberation and economic development, topped with Beijing’s unequivocal support for the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people and demand to end Israel’s illegal occupation of their homeland. China also stood firm against all imperialist schemes in the region and opposed unjustified wars that can only make matters much worse for its peoples.
As China rose to become the second largest world economy after the United States, it became an inspiring model for assisting and cooperating with developing nations in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. China was never known for using aid or providing advanced technology to developing nations as a political tool or to put pressure on those countries to serve its interests.
More importantly, China never conducted military adventures outside its territory, and the cornerstone in its ties with other countries is based on respecting the territorial integrity and sovereignty of those nations. This was highly appreciated by developing countries that now see China as a reliable partner in trade and development.
President Abdel-Fattah Al-Sisi has clearly understood the importance of building a strong alliance with China since he took office 12 years ago. One of his first visits after becoming president in 2014 was to the Chinese capital, and since then he has met with Xi over 10 times.
The repeated summits led to a strong personal relation between the two leaders based on mutual respect and recognition of the contributions each country can make to serve its own interests as well as the other’s, the region’s and the world’s. Meanwhile, the Chinese leader paid one key state visit to Egypt in January, 2016. The current state is set to give fresh impetus to bilateral economic relations and further advance cooperation on several important economic and political issues.
Both countries are primarily interested in maintaining peace and stability in the region, knowing that continuous wars and conflicts only lead to increased suffering and hinder economic development that would improve the living standards of peoples in the region.
With this clear understanding, both Egypt and China have played key roles in seeking to bring an end to all volatile conflicts in the region, whether in Palestine, Lebanon, Syria, Libya, Sudan or more lately in what now seems like a forever war between the United States and Israel on one side and Iran on the other.
The two leaders also recognise the wide prospects for further cooperation between the two countries to serve the interests of both. Trade between Egypt and China has already reached unprecedented levels, totalling nearly $21 billion. The trade balance is very much in China’s favour, considering its huge economy and the various products it exports to Egypt in all fields, particularly technology, vehicles and textiles.
Egypt’s exports to China so far have been nearly $800 million, which means that we still have a wide opening to increase exports and benefit from the exemptions China provides to developing countries, especially after Cairo became an official member of the BRICS economic alliance.
One aspect that might not be reflected in the trade balance but has been increasing significantly in recent years is the rising number of Chinese tourists visiting Egypt. This contributes to the country’s economy, and Egyptians certainly welcome seeing more Chinese tourists visiting its endless historic sites, as well as incomparably beautiful beach resorts.
China-Egypt cooperation has flourished across a range of fields including trade, investment, industry, energy, science and technology, and cultural exchange, delivering tangible benefits to people in both countries.
China has been Egypt’s largest trading partner for over a decade, while landmark projects such as the China-Egypt TEDA Suez Economic and Trade Cooperation Zone, the Benban Solar Park, the remote sensing MisrSat-2 satellite and the Government Data and Cloud Computing Centre illustrate how bilateral cooperation has expanded into areas ranging from renewable energy and space technology to digital governance.
Chinese companies have also expanded their presence in Ain Sokhna’s Suez Canal Economic Zone, where more than 200 firms now operate. Beijing views the zone as a manufacturing and logistical gateway to European, African, and Middle East markets, while Egypt hopes it will bring about jobs, foreign currency, and technology transfer.
Ties have not been limited to trade and political coordination. On 22 August, Egypt and China began the Eagles of Civilisation 2026 air exercise, which includes training in planning and managing aerial combat. Six Chinese J-16 fighter jets reportedly flew more than 6,000 km in nine hours to take part, marking the first time the aircraft had reached Mediterranean Africa for an exercise.
What is developing between Egypt and China is a strategic partnership that reflects Egypt’s desire to diversify and strengthen its ties with all influential world powers in order to serve the interests of its people.
That certainly does not replace Egypt’s strong ties and strategic relations with other world powers, topped with the United States, which has been a close partner for five decades. Yet, as a developing nation, Egypt is obliged to knock on all doors in the hope of achieving economic prosperity and, in this respect, developing ties with China is on top of the list.
* A version of this article appears in print in the 3 September, 2026 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly.
Short link: