Chinese President Xi Jinping has made a rare trip to Egypt to attempt to bolster his country’s presence in the Middle East and maybe help regional states safeguard shipping. He urged countries to oppose “external interference” in the Middle East and said Beijing was ready to work with regional states to safeguard vessels threatened by the US-Iran war.
Xi’s remarks to his Egyptian counterpart Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, on his first visit to Cairo in a decade, come as Beijing seeks a greater foothold in the region—expanding investment while managing fallout from the war. The leaders met at the opulent Ittihadiya presidential palace, where Xi was greeted by Sisi and a 21-gun salute.
The talks covered the six-month US-Iran conflict, with both presidents urging “diplomatic solutions” to reach a “full agreement to end the war,” according to a statement from Sisi’s spokesperson. Sisi’s office also said the two BRICS members signed an agreement to launch the third phase of the Egyptian-Chinese industrial zone at the Suez Canal, which officials say already hosts 200 companies and investments worth around $4 billion.
The new investments give Beijing even greater influence in the canal zone, a critical artery of global trade, as conflict in the region chokes other conduits. Xi said China “stands ready to work with countries in the region to safeguard the security of international shipping lanes, advance development cooperation… and eliminate the breeding grounds for conflict.”
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While the two leaders signed a series of additional agreements, Egyptian officials did not provide details on their scope. The Suez Canal Authority, which manages the waterway, has long sought to diversify its trade routes beyond the congested Strait of Hormuz, and Beijing’s deepening financial ties provide a structural mechanism to support that diversification.
Independent Foreign Policy
Beijing is eyeing a greater foothold in the Middle East, at a time when “the United States looks like it can’t really make up its mind whether it wants to withdraw from the region or be more engaged,” Mirette Mabrouk, a senior fellow at the Washington-based Middle East Institute, told AFP.
China sees Egypt as a key partner and an entry point to more regional influence. For Egypt, closer ties with China are part of a broader effort to diversify partnerships rather than align with a single power, Mabrouk said.
Sisi, in an op-ed published in Egyptian media on Tuesday, highlighted Cairo’s “independent foreign policy,” days after the Emirati branch of Egypt’s second-largest bank, Banque Misr, was targeted by US sanctions. Washington vowed last month to isolate Iran economically, threatening expanded sanctions that could also hit Chinese banks, among others.
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China, a major buyer of Iranian oil, has vowed to safeguard its interests. In the lead-up to an expected meeting between Xi and US President Donald Trump this month, it has also sought to shore up ties with US-friendly regional nations.
Cairo is one of the largest recipients of US military aid, and historically a key Middle East mediator. Egypt—which under Sisi’s administration became one of the world’s top weapons buyers—hosted major joint air combat exercises with the Chinese military in August, featuring Beijing’s powerful J-16 fighter jet.
China is a major exporter to Egypt, with its trade surplus reaching $12 billion in the first seven months of 2026, according to Chinese customs data. Across Cairo, a megalopolis home to over 26 million people, major streets have been lined with Chinese and Egyptian flags, as well as billboards showing Sisi and Xi.
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