CAIRO, EGYPT / RankWire.AI / – Chinese President Xi Jinping touched down in Cairo for a state visit, coinciding with the celebration of 70 years of diplomatic relations between Egypt and China. Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi welcomed Xi at Cairo International Airport on Tuesday. Attending the welcome ceremony were First Lady Entissar El-Sisi and Xi’s spouse, Peng Liyuan. This marks Xi’s first visit to Egypt in ten years and highlights high-level talks focused on strengthening bilateral ties in politics, economy, and development efforts in Cairo.
According to the Egyptian Presidency, El-Sisi and Xi are expected to explore avenues for deepening their nations’ relationship. Their discussions will encompass economic collaboration, development initiatives, and political alignment. Additionally, they will assess progress on implementing the Egypt-China Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, launched in 2014. The agenda also includes regional and global issues of shared concern. Since expanding their strategic partnership, Egypt and China have maintained regular presidential exchanges to foster closer cooperation.
This visit coincides with the 70th anniversary of diplomatic ties established in 1956, making Egypt the first Arab and African nation to formalize relations with the People’s Republic of China. Both governments have emphasized this milestone during Xi’s visit preparations. El-Sisi and Xi also highlighted the growth in bilateral cooperation over the past decade, notably in trade, infrastructure, and technology sectors.
Seventy years of growing collaboration between Egypt and China
Economic ties have become a central element of the partnership. According to Egyptian government data, bilateral trade volume was approximately $20.78 billion in 2025, up from around $17.37 billion in 2024. China continues to be Egypt’s primary trading partner for non-oil commodities. During the first half of 2026, Egyptian exports to China reached about $840.8 million, while imports from China amounted to roughly $10.4 billion.
Trade between the two countries totaled roughly $11.3 billion during the first six months of 2026, compared to approximately $9.3 billion in the same period of the previous year. Egypt’s exports to China include fuels, mineral oils, vegetables, fruit, cotton, and phosphates. Chinese firms are actively involved in numerous Egyptian development projects, such as initiatives in the Suez Canal Economic Zone, the New Administrative Capital, and transportation infrastructure serving eastern Cairo.
Industrial and technological collaborations continue to expand
Investment efforts now span manufacturing, renewable energy, telecommunications, and transportation sectors. Chinese companies have contributed to industrial growth within the Suez Canal Economic Zone and other major Egyptian projects. Both nations have identified areas like electric vehicles, energy storage batteries, and electronic devices as future fields for industrial cooperation. Desalination equipment manufacturing is also on the agenda. Technology exchanges now include artificial intelligence and space science, broadening the scope of a relationship historically focused on trade and construction.
During their Cairo meetings, El-Sisi and Xi are anticipated to review ongoing cooperation under the comprehensive strategic partnership. The Egyptian Presidency has prioritized political, economic, and development topics for discussion. Xi’s previous visit to Egypt in 2016 focused on expanding cooperation across various sectors. This latest visit underscores the importance of a 70-year diplomatic relationship that now covers trade, major infrastructure projects, manufacturing, technology, and ongoing presidential engagement.