Chinese Premier Li Qiang arrived in Cairo on Wednesday for an official visit to Egypt. In a statement released by Xinhua News Agency upon his arrival, he noted that China and Egypt, as important representatives of the Global South, should deepen strategic co-operation to protect their common interests.
Before his visit to Egypt, Li Qiang participated in the 17th BRICS summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Last week, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said at a press conference in Beijing that Li’s visit to Egypt would take place on July 9-10 at the invitation of Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly.
Mao stressed that China and Egypt support the status of a comprehensive strategic partnership, have strong bilateral ties and are committed to building a “community with a shared future.” She also recalled that Egypt was the first Arab country to establish diplomatic relations with China.
China-Egypt ties
China remains one of Egypt’s largest trading partners, with trade between the two countries reaching approximately $14 billion per year.
An important area of Chinese-Egyptian co-operation is defence, a sector in which Beijing is actively expanding its influence against the backdrop of traditional Western dominance. Li Qiang’s visit coincided with reports of the deployment of the Chinese HQ-9B air defence system in Egypt, indicating Cairo’s gradual departure from its former dependence on American military support.
Media reports say that Egypt has acquired a Chinese long-range anti-aircraft missile system designed to intercept ballistic and cruise missiles, as well as fighter jets.
Military ties between the two countries have strengthened significantly. This April, China and Egypt held their first joint military air exercises, called “Eagles of Civilisation 2025,” at an Egyptian airbase. The exercises involved Chinese J-10C fighter jets, YU-20 air tankers, KJ-500 long-range radar detection aircraft, and Egyptian MiG-29s.
The South China Morning Post reported that during the 18-day manoeuvres, an Egyptian pilot flew a Chinese J-10 fighter jet, sparking rumours of a possible delivery of these aircraft to Egypt. According to analysts, the increase in such exercises indicates that China is ready to become more actively involved in security issues in its relations with Middle Eastern countries.
