Cairo (AFP) - Chinese President Xi Jinping urged countries in the region to oppose "foreign interference" in the Middle East, during his meeting with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi on Wednesday in Cairo, which he is visiting for the first time in ten years, in light of shifts in the map of alliances in the Middle East as a result of the war between the United States and Iran.

Published on: 02/09/2026 - 04:25 Last updated: 02/09/2026 - 19:22

Al-Sisi received his guest with a ceremony that included the firing of 21 artillery shots, before holding talks at the Ittihadiya Presidential Palace in the Egyptian capital.

The talks dealt with the six-month-old war between the United States and Iran, with the two presidents calling for “prioritizing diplomatic solutions” to reach a “comprehensive agreement to end the war,” according to a statement issued by the Egyptian president’s spokesman.

Xi said during the visit, through which he aims to strengthen his country's presence in the region, "We must adhere to the principle that the peoples of the Middle East are the decision makers in their affairs, reject external interference, and support the countries of the region in promoting dialogue on peace and security," according to what was reported by the New China News Agency (Xinhua).

He also stressed Beijing's readiness to work with countries in the region to protect maritime navigation in light of the widespread turmoil since the US-Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28 led to the outbreak of war and Tehran's closure of the vital Strait of Hormuz.

The visit of the Chinese President, who arrived in Cairo on Tuesday evening, coincides with the renewal of military actions in the Middle East, while Washington is intensifying its pressure on Iran’s trading partners, such as China and Egypt.

The United States recently issued a warning to countries that maintain commercial ties with Iran, and threatened to exclude them from the American financial system.

At the forefront of these countries is China, which is the main partner of the Islamic Republic, especially in the field of oil, and Beijing seeks to obtain the support of Cairo, whose banks are also targeted by American pressure.

Across Cairo, which has a population of more than 26 million people, Egyptian and Chinese flags were raised on main roads, along with propaganda billboards bearing pictures of Sisi and Xi, before the Chinese president visited the Grand Egyptian Museum near the Giza Pyramids.

Agreement regarding the Suez Canal Zone

The Egyptian presidency said that the two BRICS member countries signed an agreement to launch the third phase of the Egyptian-Chinese industrial zone in the Suez Canal, which officials explained already hosts 200 companies with investments worth about four billion dollars.

The new investments, the value of which Egypt has not announced, would strengthen Beijing's influence in the Suez Canal region, one of the most important arteries of global trade, in light of other vital sea lanes in the region, such as the Strait of Hormuz and Bab al-Mandab, being affected by the ongoing conflicts.

Xi said, "China is ready to work with countries in the region to protect the security of international shipping lanes, enhance development cooperation, and eliminate hotbeds of conflict," according to Xinhua.

The two sides also signed agreements covering China's Belt and Road Initiative, information technology, transportation, industry and supply chains.

A joint statement stated that the two sides also agreed to expand cooperation in the fields of data centers, cloud computing, semiconductors, and vital metals supply chains, in addition to enhancing the use of the two national currencies in trade exchange.

"Strategic balance"

As the date of the expected meeting between Xi Jinping and US President Donald Trump approaches later in September, Beijing is seeking to strengthen its relations with regional countries allied with the United States.

China, which tops the list of countries importing Iranian oil, presents itself as a neutral party in the Middle East conflict, and has repeatedly called for a permanent ceasefire.

It is seeking to strengthen its presence in the Middle East while “the United States seems unable to truly decide whether it wants to withdraw from the region or increase its involvement in it,” according to what Merit Mabrouk, a researcher at the Middle East Institute in Washington, told AFP.

China views Egypt as a key partner and entry point to broader influence in the region.

As for Egypt, closer relations with China come within the framework of a broader effort to diversify partnerships rather than aligning with one power, according to Mabrouk.

Cairo is one of the largest recipients of US military aid, and historically a major mediator in the Middle East.

Egypt, which during the Sisi administration became one of the largest arms importers in the world, hosted major joint air exercises with the Chinese army in August, in which advanced Chinese J-16 fighters participated.

China is one of the largest exporters to Egypt, as its trade surplus reached about $12 billion in the first seven months of 2026, according to Chinese customs data.

In an article published Tuesday in Egyptian media, Sisi said that Egypt “adhered to the policy of strategic balance as a direction for Egyptian foreign policy at a time when waves of polarization and competition are rising.”

He also stressed that his country and China are partners that contribute together to strengthening the role of the Global South in the international system.

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© 2026 AFP

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