Chinese President Xi Jinping is expected to make an official visit to Egypt in the coming days for talks with President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi, according to a statement from the Spokesman for the Egyptian Presidency. The visit will be Xi’s first to Egypt since his trip to Cairo in 2016, and it comes as Egypt and China mark the 70th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries. During the visit, Xi and Al-Sisi are set to discuss ways to strengthen their strategic partnerships throughout various fields. In May 2024, during Al-Sisi’s visit to Beijing, the two sides launched the Egypt–China Partnership Year, an initiative celebrating a decade of their partnership, and reaffirmed the 2024–2028 executive programme for cooperation. Beyond diplomacy, economic and defence cooperation has expanded; on 19 August, Egyptian companies signed a series of export contracts with Chinese buyers, including agricultural products, textiles, minerals and engineering goods. Additionally, Egypt and China launched on 22 August the joint air exercise Eagles of Civilization 2026, which includes joint training focused on planning and managing aerial combat operations. Xi’s visit is part of a wider travel plan in the region:…
