Xi makes first Egypt visit in a decade as Cairo deepens ties with Beijing amid regional crises
Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in Cairo on Tuesday for his first state visit to Egypt since 2016, a trip that coincides with the 70th anniversary of bilateral diplomatic relations and signals a new phase in a partnership already described as historically strong.
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi received Xi at the presidential palace, returning the hospitality after el-Sisi made eight visits to China since taking office in 2014. Ambassador Mohamed el-Shennawy, the Egyptian presidency’s spokesman, said the visit was intended to strengthen ties, follow up on the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Agreement signed in 2014, and include consultations on a range of regional and international issues of mutual concern.
Beijing’s foreign ministry said last week that China-Egypt relations are at their best state in history, and that Xi’s visit would set the direction for the next phase of cooperation. That framing was echoed in a signed article by el-Sisi published Monday in Al-Ahram, in which he credited the strategic partnership with delivering a breakthrough in bilateral relations.
The economic numbers underscore the deepening relationship. China is Egypt’s largest trading partner in non-petroleum goods, with bilateral trade approaching $20.7 billion by the end of 2025, according to Egypt’s State Information Service. More recent figures from the Central Agency for Public Mobilisation and Statistics show Egyptian exports to China rose nearly 200 percent in the first half of 2026 to $840.8 million, while imports from China reached $10.4 billion.
Chinese investment has been concentrated in the Suez Canal Economic Zone, a key transit corridor for trade between China and Europe. The China-Egypt TEDA cooperation zone in Ain Sokhna, a flagship project under Beijing’s Belt and Road Initiative, hosts around 200 companies with cumulative investments exceeding $3.8 billion, Chinese state media reported.
In his Al-Ahram article, el-Sisi also raised the long-running dispute with Ethiopia over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, expressing appreciation for China’s stance on the issue. “Egypt highly appreciates China’s position, which affirmed its recognition of the vital importance of the Nile River to Egypt as its main lifeline, and reiterates the importance of refraining from taking unilateral measures,” he wrote.
The summit takes place against a backdrop of acute regional upheaval, including the ongoing genocide in Gaza and a six-month US-Israel war on Iran. Xi, in his own article published in Egyptian media, framed the visit in terms of shared visions for stability and historical resilience.
“For seven decades, the China-Egypt relationship has braved wind and rain, and withstood the test of the changing international landscape,” Xi wrote. He added that both sides firmly support the just cause of the Palestinian people in restoring their legitimate national rights and are committed to facilitating the political settlement of hotspot issues and realising peace and stability in the region.
The visit also carries a military dimension: the joint Egypt-China “Eagles of Civilisation” air exercises, which began in Egypt on August 22, are being presented as evidence of the Chinese Air Force’s ability to operate far beyond its borders. Taken together, the diplomatic, economic and military signals point to a relationship that both sides are eager to elevate at a moment when long-standing regional alignments are being tested.