Xi Jinping’s visit to the Middle East: China’s Xi Jinping tells the Middle East to ‘master their own destiny’ amid war with Iran

Chinese President Xi Jinping called on Middle Eastern countries to oppose outside interference and consider reshaping the region’s security order during talks with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi in Cairo on Wednesday, as Beijing seeks to expand its influence amid the US war against Iran.Xi, on his first visit to the Middle East in four years, said countries in the region should be “masters of their own destiny” and explore a new regional “security architecture,” according to Chinese state news agency Xinhua.The Chinese leader also said Beijing was willing to work with countries in the region to safeguard sea routes, an issue that has taken on added importance after the conflict disrupted traffic through the Strait of Hormuz and Bab al-Mandeb.

Egypt and China expand economic and security cooperation

Xi was welcomed by Sisi with a military ceremony in Cairo. The two leaders agreed to deepen security cooperation and anti-terrorism coordination.According to a joint statement, the two sides also agreed to expand cooperation in data centers, semiconductors and critical metals supply chains, while strengthening the use of their currencies in trade and investment.In talks with Sisi, Xi also said the two countries should jointly oppose what he described as “unilateralism and acts of intimidation,” Xinhua reported, according to AP. He called for efforts to achieve “a more just and equitable global governance system.”Egypt, a major U.S. defense partner that receives about $1.3 billion annually in military aid from Washington, has been steadily increasing economic and military cooperation with China in recent years.For Cairo, closer ties with Beijing are part of a broader policy of diversifying its international partnerships. In an article published before Xi’s visit, Sisi said Egypt was pursuing a policy of “strategic balance” at a time of growing global rivalry.“Egypt wants to expand the circle of its relations with major world powers, including China,” former Egyptian diplomat Ayman Zaineldine told Reuters. “Then the visions converge.”

China sees Egypt as a key regional partner

For Beijing, Egypt’s regional influence, strategic location, large domestic market and connections to Africa make it an important partner as China seeks to expand its economic and diplomatic role in the region.“Egypt represents something very valuable to Beijing: a large domestic market for investment opportunities and a lot of diplomatic clout in the region, including the Palestine question, as well as connectivity with Africa,” HA Hellyer, an academic at the Royal United Services Institute think tank, told Reuters.Xi’s visit comes as China seeks to cultivate deeper ties with one of Washington’s key allies in the Middle East, while presenting itself as a stabilizing force in the region.Xi’s trip to Egypt is his first to the country in a decade and his first visit to the Middle East since he traveled to Saudi Arabia in 2022.Growing military ties between Cairo and Beijing were also on display last month during Egypt’s “Eagles of Civilization” exercises with China, which included a rare aerial combat exercise involving Chinese-made J-16 jets and French-made Rafale jets.

Chinese investment and trade continue to grow

Home to the Suez Canal and with a population of more than 110 million, Egypt is an important market for China. Egypt imported around $10 billion worth of Chinese goods in the first half of this year.Chinese investment in Egypt has grown significantly since Sisi visited China and signed a strategic partnership agreement in 2014. Chinese companies have invested in container ports, green hydrogen projects and facilities that produce iron pipes, car tires and satellites.Egypt’s cabinet has said the Suez Canal Economic Zone has attracted around $4 billion in Chinese investment. On Wednesday, Egyptian authorities announced plans to expand a Chinese-developed industrial area in the area, while ZC Rubber Group signed a preliminary agreement to study a $500 million tire manufacturing complex.China has invested more than $10 billion in Egypt, while annual trade between the two countries is estimated at $20 billion, according to government figures.The Suez Canal has also gained greater importance as an alternative route for energy supplies amid major disruptions to oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz.“China has good reasons to strengthen ties with the country that controls the still open route,” said Muhammad Zulfikar Rakhmat, a Middle East expert at the Center for Economic and Legal Studies in Jakarta, quoted by the AP news agency.