Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi received his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping on his first visit to Cairo in a decade, as Beijing seeks a greater foothold in the region against the backdrop of the US- Iran conflict.
The 21-gun salute at Cairo’s Ittihadiya Palace marked the start of a day of talks expected to cover the Middle East conflict and its fallout, including on maritime trade security, as well as boosting Chinese investment in the Arab world’s most populous country.
The two BRICS members are expected to sign a slate of economic agreements, including on artificial intelligence, transport and manufacturing.
Egypt currently estimates Chinese investments at around US$10bil (RM40.4bil).
Beijing has key stakes in the Suez Canal Economic Zone, which are only expected to grow as the US-Iran conflict threatens global maritime trade.
Beijing has also played a key role in al-Sisi’s megaprojects, the crowning jewel of which is the New Administrative Capital 50km east of Cairo, large swathes of which have been bankrolled by Chinese investment.
China is a major exporter to Egypt, with its trade surplus reaching US$12bil (RM48.4bil) in the first seven months of 2026, according to Chinese customs data.
Across Cairo, a megalopolis home to over 26 million people, major streets have been lined with Chinese and Egyptian flags, as well as billboards showing Xi and al-Sisi.
Street signs boast of “generations of Egyptian-Chinese friendship flowing like the Nile River”, while residents have been warned to plan for substantial traffic delays on their commutes.
Xi is expected to traverse the entire capital during his visit, including a stop at the Grand Egyptian Museum overlooking the Giza Pyramids.
According to analysts, Cairo will use the summit to underscore its strategic autonomy, showing it can leverage its close ties with both Washington and Beijing.
Al-Sisi, in an op-ed published in Egyptian media on Tuesday, highlighted Cairo’s “independent foreign policy”, days after a branch of Egypt’s second-largest bank was targeted by US sanctions.
He wrote that Egypt and China were partners in “strengthening the role of the global south” in an increasingly polarised world. — AFP
