China’s President Xi Jinping arrived in Egypt on Tuesday, his first visit to the Arab world’s most populous nation in a decade, as countries across the Middle East reassess security and economic ties amid the fallout of the Iran war.
Despite $1.3B in U.S. military aid, Africa’s strongest military welcomes China’s Xi as Egypt deepens ties with Beijing and keeps Russia close [Image Credit: South China Morning Post]
- Chinese President Xi Jinping visited Egypt for the first time in a decade.
- Egypt continues to receive U.S. military aid but is rapidly expanding defense and economic partnerships with China and Russia.
- Egypt and China have deepened military cooperation, including conducting joint air drills.
- Chinese investment in Egypt has surged, especially in sectors like manufacturing, energy, ports, and satellite technology.
The conflict has disrupted global energy markets and raised questions about whether regional countries can count on the United States as a long-term security partner.
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi welcomed Xi at Cairo International Airport, where they walked a long red carpet flanked by uniformed soldiers, folk dancers, and young Egyptians waving Chinese flags.
This high-profile visit by the Chinese leader unfolds at a critical time for Egypt, which is officially ranked as Africa’s strongest military power.
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According to Reuters, Cairo continues to receive approximately $1.3 billion annually in U.S. military aid, it is rapidly expanding its defense and economic ties with Beijing while keeping other global powers, including Russia, close.
In the weeks leading up to President Xi’s arrival, Egypt and China demonstrated their growing defense cooperation directly on the ground.
Last month, Egypt hosted its second annual military exercises with China, an initiative launched by Beijing to reduce U.S. influence in the region.
These drills marked the first deployment of China’s J-16 jets to Africa and a rare air combat drill involving the Chinese-made fighters and French-made Rafales.
Both leaders have publicly celebrated this alliance.
Writing in the state newspaper Al-Ahram, President Sisi highlighted the global implications of their cooperation, stating:
“Egypt and China have become partners contributing together to strengthening the role of the Global South in the international system“.
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According to Reuters President Xi echoed this sentiment in commentaries published by the Xinhua state news agency, describing the two nations as “close brothers standing by each other” in the face of imperialism and colonialism and that he looked forward to exploring a deeper partnership.
Beyond defense, Chinese investment in Egypt has surged in recent years, with billions flowing into sectors such as manufacturing, ports, solar energy, green hydrogen, and satellite technology.
Egypt’s outreach to Beijing is a deliberate strategy to diversify its partnerships amid growing doubts about Western reliability.
Ongoing conflicts in the Middle East, including the war in Iran, have severely disrupted global energy markets and led regional leaders to question whether they can count on the United States as a long-term security partner.
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Flag of Egypt Image [Credit: Britannica]Britannica
While Cairo’s messaging toward Washington has softened over the years, “questions of American reliability and volatility” raised by regional wars have reinforced its desire to diversify partnerships.
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According to H. A. Hellyer, a scholar at the Royal United Services Institute think tank, this diversification is a conscious effort by Cairo to navigate a changing global landscape.
“Egypt sees itself as moving toward greater strategic autonomy,” Hellyer said. “It wants strong relations with Washington, but also Beijing, Moscow, and Europe“.
Egypt borders multiple conflict zones and the vital Suez Canal.
To navigate this, its leaders are keeping U.S. military aid as a constant while building much closer ties with both China and Russia
