Xi Jinping to visit Cairo for first Egypt trip since 2016

September 1, 2026 at 09:59 PM2 min

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Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in Cairo on Tuesday for his first visit to Egypt since 2016, marking 70 years of diplomatic relations. Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi received Xi, who aims to strengthen economic cooperation and follow up on the 2014 Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Agreement. The visit comes amid regional tensions, including the dispute over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam.

Key Facts

Xi Jinping's visit to Egypt is his first since 2016 and coincides with the 70th anniversary of diplomatic ties between the two countries.
Bilateral trade between China and Egypt reached nearly $20.7 billion by the end of 2025, according to Egypt's State Information Service.
Egyptian exports to China rose nearly 200 percent to $840.8 million in the first half of 2026, while imports from China stood at $10.4 billion.
The China-Egypt TEDA cooperation zone in Ain Sokhna hosts about 200 companies with investments exceeding $3.8 billion.
President el-Sisi thanked Beijing for its solidarity with Egypt on the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam dispute.

Diplomatic Agenda

Presidential spokesman Ambassador Mohamed el-Shennawy said Xi's visit aimed at strengthening bilateral relations and following up on the implementation of the 2014 Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Agreement. The visit will include consultations on regional and international issues of mutual interest, according to el-Shennawy. China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs last week described relations with Egypt as being at their best state in history and said Xi's visit would set the direction of future ties.

Economic Cooperation

China is Egypt's largest trading partner in non-petroleum goods, with bilateral trade reaching nearly $20.7 billion by the end of 2025, according to the State Information Service. Data from the Central Agency for Public Mobilisation and Statistics shows a nearly 200 percent increase in Egyptian exports to China, at $840.8 million in the first half of 2026, while imports stood at $10.4 billion. Chinese investments in Egypt are focused mainly in the Suez Canal area, a key passageway for trade between China and Europe. The China-Egypt TEDA cooperation zone in Ain Sokhna, part of Beijing's Belt and Road Initiative, hosts about 200 companies with investments exceeding $3.8 billion, according to state media.

Regional Tensions

In an article published by Al-Ahram newspaper on Monday, President el-Sisi wrote that the comprehensive strategic partnership achieved a breakthrough in bilateral relations, with China becoming a major commercial and economic partner for Egypt. El-Sisi also touched on tensions between Egypt and Ethiopia over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam and its effects on Cairo's access to Nile waters. He thanked Beijing for its solidarity with Egypt on the dam issue.