Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi welcomed Chinese President Xi Jinping to Cairo on Wednesday, September 2, 2026, as the two countries seek to strengthen their economic and strategic relationship.
Xi’s visit is his first trip to Egypt in a decade and comes at a time of growing instability in the Middle East. The visit highlights Egypt’s efforts to deepen relationships with major global powers while China continues to expand its influence in Africa and the Middle East.
Xi was received at a military ceremony at the Ittihadiya presidential palace in Cairo. Egypt has traditionally maintained close defence ties with the United States, but Cairo has increasingly expanded its economic and military cooperation with Beijing.
Relations between Egypt and China have grown significantly since 2014, when the two countries signed a strategic partnership agreement. Chinese companies have since invested billions of dollars in Egypt, including in infrastructure, green hydrogen, satellite technology and the development of Egypt’s new administrative capital.
China is also an increasingly important trading partner for Egypt. Egyptian government data shows that imports from China exceeded $10 billion in the first half of 2026, representing an increase of more than 14 percent compared with the same period last year.
The visit is therefore expected to further strengthen cooperation between the two countries in trade, investment, infrastructure and strategic affairs.
