CAIRO, EGYPT / RankWire.AI / – Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in Cairo for an official visit as Egypt and China marked 70 years of diplomatic relations. Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi welcomed Xi at Cairo International Airport on Tuesday. First Lady Entissar El-Sisi also attended the reception alongside Xi’s wife, Peng Liyuan. The visit is Xi’s first to Egypt in 10 years. It occurs amid reviews by both governments of a relationship that covers political, economic, and developmental cooperation.
According to the Egyptian Presidency, discussions during the visit will focus on deepening bilateral ties across multiple sectors. The agenda further includes the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership that Egypt and China formed in 2014. Both nations plan to hold consultations on regional and international issues of mutual interest. Since the partnership’s inception, El-Sisi and Xi have maintained consistent high-level engagement. Egypt has also broadened its participation in China-related economic initiatives, involving projects in infrastructure, manufacturing, and transport sectors during that period.
The visit coincides with the 70th anniversary of official diplomatic relations between Egypt and China. Diplomatic ties were first established in 1956, making Egypt the first Arab and African country to recognize the People’s Republic of China. El-Sisi emphasized the milestone in statements released prior to Xi’s arrival, and Xi acknowledged the anniversary ahead of his trip. Both leaders highlighted seven decades of bilateral cooperation and the growing relationship since the start of the comprehensive strategic partnership.
Seventy years of diplomatic engagement
Economic relations constitute a significant part of the partnership. The Egyptian State Information Service reported that bilateral trade hit approximately $20.78 billion in 2025, up from roughly $17.37 billion in 2024, representing a growth of about 19.6%. China holds the position as Egypt’s primary trading partner for non-oil goods. During the first half of 2026, Egyptian exports to China amounted to $840.8 million, while imports from China totaled roughly $10.4 billion for the same period.
Trade between Egypt and China reached about $11.3 billion in the first six months of 2026, an increase from approximately $9.3 billion during the same period in the previous year. Egypt’s exports to China include fuels, mineral oils, vegetables, fruit, cotton, and phosphates. Chinese investments and contracting efforts also encompass several major Egyptian projects, including developments within the Suez Canal Economic Zone, the New Administrative Capital, and electric transport infrastructure east of Cairo.
Economic and developmental collaboration
The Egyptian State Information Service indicated that Chinese investments have supported projects in industrial zones and the Suez Canal Economic Zone. Chinese firms have participated in construction and transportation initiatives, expanding cooperation into renewable energy, telecommunications, technology, and manufacturing sectors. Egypt and China have pinpointed electric vehicles, energy storage batteries, electronic equipment, and desalination components as key areas for industrial collaboration. Broader technological ties also include artificial intelligence and space sciences within their bilateral framework.
El-Sisi and Xi intend to use the visit to evaluate the progress of their comprehensive strategic partnership. Discussions will cover political, development, and economic cooperation. Xi’s return to Cairo follows his previous visit to Egypt in 2016. The current visit underscores the importance of the 70-year diplomatic history, as both governments review ongoing projects, bilateral trade, and cooperation across an expanding array of sectors.