Egypt and China sign new agreements to consolidate the two countries' global strategic partnership 

During Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sissi’s state visit to Beijing, Egypt and China signed new agreements aimed at consolidating their comprehensive strategic partnership. This information comes from joint communiqués issued by the two presidencies on Wednesday 29 May 2024.

These new agreements are part of an executive programme for the period 2024-2028. It focuses on cooperation in industry, technology transfer, trade diversification, tourism promotion and collaboration in sectors such as artificial intelligence (AI) and agriculture.

In addition to these agreements, President al-Sissi and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping discussed deepening their cooperation in various fields. These include infrastructure, industry, renewable energy, information technology and healthcare. The two leaders also reaffirmed their mutual support on international and regional issues, as well as their commitment to cooperate on multilateral platforms such as the United Nations and the BRICS.

Cooperation between Cairo and Beijing has intensified over the years. As part of the New Silk Roads initiative, Egypt remains a strategic partner for China due to its key geographical position in the Arab world. Beijing has invested billions of dollars in Egyptian state projects, notably the Suez Canal Economic Zone.

Trade between the two nations also testifies to the strength of the bilateral relationship. According to data from the International Trade Center (ITC), the volume of trade reached 15.8 billion dollars in 2023.

The Egyptian President’s visit coincides with the China-Arab States Cooperation Forum. On this occasion, Abdel Fatah Al-Sissi recalled the objectives of this meeting, including: “the promotion of South-South cooperation and the establishment of a fairer international order”.