Xi urges Middle East states to oppose external interference during rare Egypt visit

Chinese President Xi Jinping has called on Middle East countries to oppose external interference and to shape their own security arrangements during a rare visit to Egypt. The remarks came during talks in Cairo with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, Xi's first visit to the country in a decade. The meeting took place at the Ittihadiya Presidential Palace in the Egyptian capital, where Xi was greeted with a 21-gun salute.

Sponsored

According to the supplied material, Xi said the people of the Middle East should be the masters of their own affairs and should support regional dialogue on peace and security. He also said China was ready to work with countries in the region to safeguard maritime shipping, which has been affected by the US-Iran war. The talks also covered the six-month conflict, with both presidents urging diplomatic solutions and a comprehensive agreement to end the war.

The visit also produced a set of economic and industrial agreements. Egyptian officials said the two BRICS members signed an agreement to launch the third phase of the Egyptian-Chinese industrial zone at the Suez Canal. Officials said the zone already hosts 200 companies and investments worth about $4 billion.

Additional agreements were also signed, although Egyptian officials did not provide details. The timing of the visit matters because China is seeking a larger role in the Middle East while the regional security environment is under strain. The supplied material says Beijing is expanding investment in the region while managing the fallout from the war, and that the conflict is testing the reliability of the traditional US security umbrella in a vital geostrategic area.

Sponsored

The Suez Canal is described as a critical artery of global trade, making any new investment or security discussion there significant beyond Egypt. The meeting also fits into a broader pattern of Chinese engagement with the region through diplomacy, trade and infrastructure. The industrial zone at the Suez Canal has become one of the clearest examples of that approach, linking Chinese capital with a key global shipping route.

At the same time, the focus on maritime security reflects wider concern about disruption to international shipping lanes during the conflict. What remains unclear is the full scope of the additional agreements announced by Egyptian officials and how quickly the new industrial zone phase will advance. It is also not clear what practical effect Xi's call for regional states to resist external interference will have on the wider security debate.

For now, the visit signals Beijing's intent to present itself as a partner on diplomacy, trade and shipping security at a moment of regional instability.

#XiJinping #Egypt #AbdelFattahalSisi #MiddleEast #maritimesecurity

Sponsored