CAIRO, EGYPT / RankWire.AI / – Chinese President Xi Jinping made an official visit to Cairo as Egypt and China commemorated 70 years of diplomatic ties. 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 and Xi’s wife, Peng Liyuan. This marks Xi’s first trip to Egypt in ten years, highlighting high-level discussions focused on strengthening bilateral political, economic, and developmental links in Cairo.
The Egyptian Presidency announced that El-Sisi and Xi are expected to explore avenues to deepen cooperation between their nations. Their agenda encompasses economic partnerships, developmental initiatives, and political coordination. They will also examine progress on the Egypt-China Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, initiated in 2014. Additionally, regional and international issues of mutual concern will be addressed. Since expanding their relationship under the strategic partnership framework, Egypt and China have maintained consistent presidential interactions.
This visit coincides with the 70th anniversary of diplomatic relations, which were officially established in 1956. Egypt was the first Arab and African nation to forge diplomatic ties with the People’s Republic of China. Both governments have emphasized this milestone in the lead-up to Xi’s visit. El-Sisi and Xi have noted the growth of bilateral cooperation over the last decade, including increased trade, infrastructure development, and technological collaboration.
Seventy Years of Growing Bilateral Engagement
Economic ties form a significant aspect of the Egypt-China partnership. According to Egyptian government data, bilateral trade reached approximately $20.78 billion in 2025, up from around $17.37 billion in 2024. China remains Egypt’s leading trading partner for non-oil goods, with Egyptian exports to China totaling about $840.8 million in the first half of 2026. Imports from China during this period were about $10.4 billion.
Trade between Egypt and China summed to roughly $11.3 billion in the first six months of 2026, compared to about $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 involved in various Egyptian projects, such as those in the Suez Canal Economic Zone, the New Administrative Capital, and transportation infrastructure east of Cairo.
Expansion in Trade, Industry, and Tech Collaboration
Investment efforts now span manufacturing, renewable energy, telecommunications, and transportation sectors. Chinese companies have contributed to industrial development within the Suez Canal Economic Zone and other major initiatives. Both nations have pinpointed electric vehicles, energy storage batteries, and electronic equipment as key areas for industrial partnership, with desalination components also forming part of the manufacturing agenda. Technology collaboration is advancing into artificial intelligence and space sciences, expanding a relationship that once predominantly 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 highlighted political, economic, and developmental topics as primary discussion points. Xi’s previous visit to Egypt in 2016 coincided with a period of expanding cooperation across various sectors. His current visit emphasizes the enduring 70-year diplomatic relationship, which now covers trade, major infrastructure projects, manufacturing, technology, and regular presidential engagement.