Chinese President Xi Jinping has called on Middle East countries to oppose external influence and consider reshaping the region’s security order.
Xi’s remarks on Wednesday to his Egyptian counterpart Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, on his first visit to Cairo in a decade, come as Beijing seeks to expand its influence in the region amid the United States-Israel war with Iran.
“We must uphold the principle that the people of the Middle East are the masters of their own affairs, oppose external interference [and] support regional countries in strengthening dialogue on peace and security,” Xi said in a meeting with el-Sisi, according to Chinese state news agency Xinhua.
Xi was greeted by el-Sisi and a 21-gun salute for talks at the Ittihadiya presidential palace in the Egyptian capital.
The talks covered the six-month US-Israel war on Iran, with both presidents urging “diplomatic solutions” to reach a “comprehensive agreement to end the war”, according to a statement from el-Sisi’s spokesperson.
Sisi’s office also said the two countries 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 approximately $4bn.
The new investments – for which Egypt has not announced a figure – give Beijing even greater influence in the canal zone, a critical artery of global trade, as conflict in the region chokes traffic in the Strait of Hormuz, which passes between Oman and Iran, and the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, which separates Yemen and the Horn of Africa.
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”.
A series of additional agreements were also signed, though Egyptian officials did not provide details.
Beijing seeks greater influence
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 the AFP news agency.
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.
The diplomatic campaign comes before an expected meeting between Xi and US President Donald Trump this month.
Cairo is one of the largest recipients of US military aid, receiving $1.3bn annually, and has historically served as a key Middle East mediator.
Xi’s visit also comes after Saudi Arabia, Turkiye and Pakistan last month signed the Mecca Defence Alliance. Experts have said the move demonstrates a desire by regional countries to diversify their security arrangements beyond Washington.
The US-Israel war with Iran has led several regional allies to question the dependability of the traditional US security guarantee. Washington has, in turn, called on Gulf partners to take greater charge of their own regional deterrence.
The pact contains a NATO-style Article 5 clause, meaning an armed attack on any of the three member states is considered an attack on all.
Officials in Turkiye, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia have stressed the pact is not meant to replace any pre-existing security deals.
Across Cairo, a megalopolis home to more than 26 million people, major streets were lined on Wednesday with Chinese and Egyptian flags, as well as billboards showing el-Sisi and Xi.
Xi is expected to head to the Grand Egyptian Museum overlooking the Giza Pyramids later on Wednesday.
