CAIRO, EGYPT / RankWire.AI / – Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in Cairo for an official visit as Egypt and China marked 70 years of diplomatic relations. Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi welcomed Xi at Cairo International Airport on Tuesday. First Lady Entissar El-Sisi also attended the reception alongside Xi’s wife, Peng Liyuan. The visit is Xi’s first to Egypt in 10 years. It comes as both governments review a bilateral relationship that spans political, economic and development cooperation.
The Egyptian Presidency said the visit will include talks on strengthening bilateral relations across several sectors. The agenda also covers the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership that Egypt and China established in 2014. Both sides plan consultations on regional and international issues of common interest. El-Sisi and Xi have maintained regular high-level contact since the partnership began. Egypt has also expanded its participation in China-linked economic initiatives during that period, including projects connected with infrastructure, manufacturing and transport.
The visit coincides with the 70th anniversary of formal Egypt-China diplomatic relations. Egypt and China established diplomatic ties in 1956, making Egypt the first Arab and African country to recognize the People’s Republic of China. El-Sisi highlighted the anniversary in remarks released before Xi’s arrival. Xi also addressed the milestone ahead of the visit. Both presidents pointed to seven decades of bilateral cooperation and the expansion of relations since the comprehensive strategic partnership began.
Seventy years of diplomatic relations
Economic ties form a major part of the relationship. Egypt’s State Information Service said bilateral trade reached about $20.78 billion in 2025. That compared with roughly $17.37 billion in 2024, representing growth of about 19.6%. China ranks as Egypt’s largest trading partner in non-oil goods. Egyptian exports to China reached $840.8 million during the first half of 2026. Imports from China totaled about $10.4 billion during the same six-month period.
Trade between the two countries reached about $11.3 billion in the first half of 2026. That was up from approximately $9.3 billion a year earlier. Egypt exports products including fuels, mineral oils, vegetables, fruit, cotton and phosphates to China. Chinese investment and contracting activity also extends across several major Egyptian projects. These include developments in the Suez Canal Economic Zone, the New Administrative Capital and electric transport infrastructure serving areas east of Cairo.
Trade and development cooperation
The State Information Service said Chinese investment in Egypt has included projects in industrial zones and the Suez Canal Economic Zone. Chinese companies have also participated in construction and transport projects. Cooperation has expanded into renewable energy, telecommunications, technology and manufacturing. Egypt and China have identified electric vehicles, energy storage batteries, electronic equipment and desalination components among areas for industrial cooperation. Artificial intelligence and space sciences also feature in the broader framework for bilateral technology ties.
The Egyptian Presidency said El-Sisi and Xi will use the visit to follow up on the implementation of their comprehensive strategic partnership. Their discussions also cover political and development cooperation alongside economic ties. Xi’s return to Cairo follows his previous visit to Egypt in 2016. The latest visit places the 70-year diplomatic relationship at the center of talks between the two presidents while both governments review existing projects, bilateral trade and cooperation across a growing range of sectors.