CAIRO, EGYPT / RankWire.AI / – Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in Cairo for an official visit as Egypt and China commemorated 70 years of diplomatic relations. Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi welcomed Xi at Cairo International Airport on Tuesday. The reception was also attended by First Lady Entissar El-Sisi along with Xi’s wife, Peng Liyuan. This visit marks Xi’s first to Egypt in a decade and coincides with a period of review by both governments of a relationship that encompasses political, economic, and developmental cooperation.
According to the Egyptian Presidency, the visit will feature discussions aimed at bolstering bilateral ties across various sectors. The agenda includes the comprehensive strategic partnership that Egypt and China formalized in 2014. Both nations intend to hold consultations on regional and international issues of mutual interest. Since the partnership’s inception, El-Sisi and Xi have maintained regular high-level communication, and Egypt has increased its involvement in Chinese-related economic initiatives, including projects related to infrastructure, manufacturing, and transportation.
This visit coincides with the 70th anniversary of formal diplomatic relations between Egypt and China, which began in 1956, making Egypt the first Arab and African country to recognize the People’s Republic of China. El-Sisi highlighted this milestone in statements released before Xi’s arrival, while Xi addressed it ahead of the visit. Both leaders emphasized seven decades of bilateral cooperation and noted the growth of relations since the establishment of their comprehensive strategic partnership.
Seventy years of diplomatic relations
Economic ties are a central element of the partnership. Egypt’s State Information Service reported that bilateral trade amounted to approximately $20.78 billion in 2025, up from around $17.37 billion in 2024, reflecting an increase of about 19.6%. China remains Egypt’s top trading partner for non-oil goods, with Egyptian exports to China reaching $840.8 million during the first half of 2026 and imports from China totaling roughly $10.4 billion in the same period.
In the first half of 2026, trade between Egypt and China reached about $11.3 billion, rising from approximately $9.3 billion during the same period in the previous year. Egypt exports products like fuels, mineral oils, vegetables, fruit, cotton, and phosphates to China. Chinese investments and contracts have also extended into major Egyptian projects, including developments in the Suez Canal Economic Zone, the New Administrative Capital, and electric transport infrastructure east of Cairo.
Trade and development collaborations
The State Information Service indicated that Chinese investments in Egypt include projects within industrial zones and the Suez Canal Economic Zone. Chinese companies have participated in construction and transport projects, and cooperation has expanded into renewable energy, telecommunications, technology, and manufacturing sectors. Egypt and China have identified areas such as electric vehicles, energy storage batteries, electronic equipment, and desalination components for industrial collaboration. Additionally, artificial intelligence and space sciences are part of their broader technological partnership.
The Egyptian Presidency noted that El-Sisi and Xi will use this visit to follow up on the progress of their comprehensive strategic partnership, discussing political, developmental, and economic cooperation. Xi’s return to Cairo follows his previous visit in 2016, and this latest trip emphasizes the 70-year diplomatic relationship between the two nations while both governments review existing projects, bilateral trade, and cooperation across an expanding array of sectors.