China’s Xi visits Egypt’s el-Sisi: Why it matters

SaveSharefacebookxwhatsapp-strokecopylinkChina's President Xi Jinping listens to his Egyptian counterpart Abdel Fattah el-Sisi as Xi's wife Peng Liyuan watches upon their arrival at the Cairo International Airport in Egypt on September 1, 2026 [AFP]By Usaid SiddiquiPublished On 2 Sep 20262 Sep 2026Chinese President Xi Jinping is visiting Egypt for the first time in a decade, as Cairo looks to foster deeper economic and military ties with Beijing while maintaining its long-standing relationship with Washington.The visit comes as the US-Israel war on Iran and resulting disruption to global trade have prompted US allies in the region to reassess their strategic relationships. Most recently, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkiye announced the Mecca Joint Deterrence Agreement, a mutual defence pact.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3China’s Xi makes first visit to Egypt in a decade, amid regional turmoillist 2 of 3China’s Xi makes his first visit to Egypt in a decadelist 3 of 3Xi, Modi and Putin attend SCO summit: What’s on the agenda?end of listSeeking closer ties with Beijing, therefore, is part of an effort to further what President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi has called Cairo’s “independent foreign policy”.For China, Egypt offers an important foothold in the Middle East with its large economy, control of the Suez Canal and diplomatic influence across the Arab world and Africa.Here is what you need to know:What is the visit about?Xi’s three-day visit, which began on Tuesday evening, includes talks with el-Sisi that are expected to focus on the regional conflict and its consequences for maritime trade security, as well as expanding Chinese investment in Egypt.The two countries are expected to sign economic agreements covering areas including artificial intelligence (AI), transport and manufacturing.The visit marks 70 years of diplomatic relations between Egypt and China. Egyptian state-run media reported that Xi has called for the two countries to “expand the scope of pragmatic collaboration”, while el-Sisi praised Chinese investment in Egypt and reiterated Cairo’s support for Beijing’s position on Taiwan, the island nation that China claims as part of its own territory.Military cooperation is another increasingly important part of the relationship.In August, Egypt and China held joint air exercises including Chinese J-16 fighter jets and Egypt’s French-made Rafale aircraft. It was the first time the J-16s had taken part in a combat exercise alongside the Rafales. Why is this state visit important?Xi’s visit highlights Beijing’s efforts to expand its influence in a region where the US has been the dominant military power for decades.Egypt is a key Middle East ally for Washington, and the second-largest recipient of US military aid.The meeting comes at a time of considerable geopolitical instability, with Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza, the US-Israel war with Iran, and disruption around the Red Sea caused by Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis targeting Saudi-linked ships all raising questions about the durability of the existing US-led regional order, experts say.Rob Geist Pinfold, a lecturer in international security at King’s College London, told Al Jazeera, “China is trying to position itself as an increasingly important economic and diplomatic actor in that environment, particularly as a counterweight to the US, as a more responsible and more hands-off regional actor.”Egypt has a population of 110 million and is an important market for Chinese goods and investment. It is also particularly important to Beijing because it controls the Suez Canal, Pinfold said, adding that the waterway has become even more critical amid disruptions to shipping in the crucial Bab el-Mandeb and Hormuz straits.Iran has effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz for the past six months in retaliation for US-Israeli strikes. Prior to the war, more than one-fifth of the world’s oil and petroleum products were shipped through the strait, which is the only sea route to the open ocean available to Gulf producers.(Al Jazeera)China offers Egypt opportunities to develop investment, infrastructure and technology, while bilateral ties have also expanded into areas including defence and artificial intelligence.But the growing relationship should not be interpreted as Egypt pivoting away from the US entirely, Pinfold said, noting that “instead, el-Sisi’s approach is better understood as one of diversification and strategic autonomy”.“In short,” Pinfold said, “as the Gulf states have done in recent years, he is trying to hedge without alienating or annoying Egypt’s indisputably most important ally, the US.”How strong are Egypt-China relations?Relations between Cairo and Beijing have deepened significantly since 2014, when el-Sisi visited China and the two countries signed a strategic partnership agreement.China is now Egypt’s largest trading partner in non-petroleum goods, with bilateral trade reaching nearly $20.7bn by the end of 2025, according to Egypt’s State Information Service (SIS).Data from the country’s Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics (CAPMAS) shows a nearly 200 percent increase in Egyptian exports to China, at $840.8m in the first half of 2026, while imports stood at $10.4bn.Beijing has also invested more than $10bn in Egypt, including in the New Administrative Capital east of Cairo and an electric rail line serving industry in the Nile Delta.Chinese companies have also invested in container ports, green hydrogen, iron pipes, tyres and satellites.Chinese investments in Egypt are focused mainly in the Suez Canal area and the China-Egypt TEDA cooperation zone in Ain Sokhna, part of Beijing’s Belt and Road Initiative, which hosts about 200 companies with investments exceeding $3.8bn, according to Egyptian state media.In 2023, Egypt joined BRICS, the bloc of Global South nations including Brazil, Russia, India and China.