A professor at the Middle East Studies Institute at Shanghai International Studies University, Ding Long, called Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit to Cairo “historic” – marking the first such visit in a decade.
In this exclusive interview, he added that relations between Cairo and Beijing are at their best – noting a rise in the volume of trade exchange – and discussed further opportunities to boost ties between both nations.
Interview transcript:
How do you view Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit to Egypt and the relationship between Cairo and Beijing?
Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit, undertaken at the invitation of President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, comes at a historic juncture coinciding with the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two nations.
It represents a milestone of exceptional significance—measured not merely by its bilateral importance, but by its role as a practical declaration that Sino-Egyptian relations are “at their best,” as officially described by the Chinese Foreign Ministry.
It stands as a leading model of solidarity and mutually beneficial cooperation among Global South nations; furthermore, under the strategic leadership of Presidents al-Sisi and Xi, the relationship evolved into a “comprehensive strategic partnership”—announced in 2014—and has continued to deepen to the point where both countries now speak of “building a China-Egypt community with a shared future in the new era.”
President Xi Jinping’s visit to Cairo serves to crown a long-standing journey and transform the 70th-anniversary milestone from a mere celebratory occasion into a launchpad for a “new golden decade.”
Preliminary indications suggest the visit’s agenda will extend beyond a joint statement to include the signing of agreements covering e-commerce, the green economy, healthcare, digital transformation, and local currency financing. This signifies a shift in cooperation from “heavy infrastructure”—such as ports and towers—to “superstructure” elements, including cloud computing, artificial intelligence, and regional supply chains.
The strategic value of this visit lies in three key points:
First, it affirms that the Sino-Egyptian relationship is not subject to changes in Western administrations or pressures from traditional blocs; rather, it is grounded in respect for sovereignty and non-interference—a fact that explains its stability amidst regional volatility. Second, it transforms the “Global South” from mere political rhetoric into operational mechanisms—ranging from currency swaps and special economic zones to an Egyptian satellite built by Egyptian hands. Third, it offers an alternative model for international cooperation based on “building together” rather than “building for others,” on technology transfer rather than monopolization, and on financing conditioned by development rather than political dictates.
Do you believe the 70th-anniversary celebrations mark the beginning of a new phase of cooperation?
Seventy years after the initial mutual diplomatic recognition, Egypt and China are no longer merely two nations exchanging ambassadors – they have become pillars in reshaping the economic order of Eurasia and Africa.
This visit to Cairo is but one step in a long journey—yet it is a step that embodies decades of trust, billions of dollars in trade, thousands of jobs, and even a satellite orbiting Earth named “EgyptSat-2,” built through the joint efforts of Egyptian and Chinese hands.
This is precisely why the 70th anniversary signifies not the end of a chapter, but the beginning of a broader vision: a vision of a community with a shared future between two civilizations—bound not by geography, but by the will to forge the future using the tools of the future.
In the last decade alone, the Chinese and Egyptian presidents have met thirteen times.
President Sisi visited China seven times between 2015 and 2025, participating twice in the Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation.
Engagement has not been limited to the summit level but has extended to reciprocal visits by prime ministers, parliamentary speakers, and foreign ministers, thereby establishing a mechanism for high-level political coordination.
In multilateral forums, a consistent stance of mutual respect for core interests has prevailed: China steadfastly supports Egypt’s independent decision-making and its sovereignty over its territory and waters, while Egypt upholds the One-China principle, regards Taiwan as an integral part of Chinese territory, and opposes any foreign interference in China’s internal affairs.
What about economic cooperation between the two countries?
In terms of the economy and development, the achievements realized since 2013 alone suffice to demonstrate that the relationship has moved beyond the stage of “good neighborliness” to that of “structural integration.”
Bilateral trade volume rose from US$10.21 billion in 2013 to $20.79 billion in 2025—a historic record—while China has remained Egypt’s largest trading partner for fourteen consecutive years.
China is also the primary supplier of intermediate goods, accounting for 66 percent of such imports; these are processed locally in Egypt before being exported to third-party markets.
To address the trade imbalance, a Chinese policy granting full duty-free access to products from 53 African nations came into effect in May 2026.
This includes Egypt, which benefited from a 100 percent exemption on customs duties—free of caps or political conditions—a move that immediately resulted in a 117 percent surge in Egyptian exports to China in February 2026 compared to the same month the previous year.
In the investment sector, statistics indicate that by the end of 2025, there were over 2,860 registered Chinese companies operating in Egypt, with a cumulative investment stock of approximately $9 billion—concentrated in manufacturing, mining, and services—alongside new Chinese foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows totaling $93.03 million in 2024 alone.
The China-Egypt TEDA Suez Economic and Trade Cooperation Zone in Ain Sokhna stands out as a key hub for industrial cooperation; following a decade of expansion, its developed area has exceeded 10 square kilometers, attracting around 200 Chinese and international enterprises with actual investments surpassing $3.8 billion.
It achieved cumulative sales exceeding $6.6 billion, created over 10,000 direct jobs, and contributed approximately $310 million in taxes to the Egyptian treasury.
Furthermore, in July 2025, both parties signed an agreement to allocate an additional 2.86 square kilometers as a western expansion zone, paving the way for new projects in renewable energy, automotive manufacturing, chemicals, and textiles.
These figures cannot be viewed in isolation from the major projects that have transformed Egypt’s infrastructure landscape.
In the New Administrative Capital, China State Construction Engineering Corporation (CSCEC) executed the Central Business District (CBD) project—featuring the 385.8-meter Iconic Tower, the tallest in Africa—with the structure’s completion marked in 2021.
Meanwhile, on the North Coast, the “New Alamein” residential complex features soaring high-rises, establishing it as the continent’s tallest integrated concrete residential complex.
In the transport sector, the “CREC-AVIC International” consortium completed the first and second phases of the 10th of Ramadan City electric train—Africa’s first electric railway line—which entered service in 2022, reducing travel time between Old Cairo and the New Administrative Capital.
In the space sector, China launched the Egyptian satellite “EgyptSat 2” in December 2023 under the management of a joint Egyptian-Chinese team, making Egypt the first African nation to possess full domestic capabilities for satellite assembly and testing.
In 2024, Egypt’s government data and cloud computing center became operational using Chinese technologies, followed by the inauguration of the first Chinese public cloud node in Cairo, which hosts over 200 Egyptian companies.
Do you believe that cooperation between the two countries is growing and evolving with Egypt’s accession to the BRICS bloc?
Egypt’s accession to BRICS in 2024 has placed Sino-Egyptian relations within a broader framework of South-South cooperation, particularly in navigating global trade volatility and restoring balance to international economic governance.
China’s Belt and Road Initiative complements “Egypt Vision 2030” across key sectors such as renewable energy, digitization, modern agriculture, and sustainable transport.
For instance, Chinese companies participated in the development of the Benban Solar Park—one of the world’s largest solar farms—while wind energy projects have been implemented in Sohag and the Red Sea region.
Additionally, the “Obelisk” solar energy project, featuring battery storage capabilities sufficient to power approximately 1.6 million households, entered service in 2026.
In the electric vehicle sector, Chinese brands have initiated local assembly operations and established vocational training centers in collaboration with Egyptian institutes; meanwhile, academies affiliated with Chinese companies have trained over 60,000 Egyptian personnel in information and communication technology.
This engagement extends to the human dimension as well: prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, the annual number of Chinese tourists visiting Egypt exceeded 300,000, and direct flights between Beijing and Cairo resumed in 2025.
Furthermore, the number of Egyptian students at Chinese universities has surpassed 3,000, alongside a steady stream of technical, agricultural, and medical training delegations.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, China was the first country to dispatch urgent medical aid to Egypt in March 2020.
This was followed by shipments of the Sinopharm vaccine, facilitated by a local production partnership in Cairo. All of this redefines the “brotherhood” between the two nations—not merely as a slogan, but as an interconnected network of material and knowledge-based interests.
Shanghai Professor hails Chinese President’s visit to Egypt as “historic”, discusses relations in exclusive interview Egypt Independent.
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