Ahmed Kamel – Egypt Daily News
Chinese President Xi Jinping welcomed Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly at the Tianjin State Guesthouse today, where the two leaders held extensive discussions on a range of issues of mutual interest. This meeting took place on the sidelines of the “Shanghai Cooperation Organization Plus” summit, with Madbouly representing President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi. The meeting was attended by Egypt’s Ambassador to China, Khaled Nazmy, along with several Chinese ministers and the Chinese Ambassador to Egypt.
At the outset of the meeting, President Xi conveyed his warm greetings to President El-Sisi, praising Egypt’s recent accession to the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) as the first Arab and African country to join. The two leaders also reflected on the historical significance of their countries’ diplomatic relationship, with both nations set to mark 70 years of diplomatic ties next year. Xi underscored the exceptional stage of bilateral relations, emphasizing the strong personal friendship he shares with President El-Sisi.
Xi also reaffirmed China’s commitment to supporting Egypt’s sovereignty and expressed his appreciation for Egypt’s stance on the “One China” policy. Furthermore, he highlighted China’s intent to continue facilitating the expansion of Chinese companies’ operations in the Egyptian market, particularly with a focus on increasing investment in key sectors such as renewable energy, electric vehicles, and energy infrastructure.
One of the significant topics discussed was the growing collaboration in areas such as water desalination and the enhancement of tourism between the two nations. Xi specifically encouraged boosting Chinese tourist visits to Egypt, recognizing the potential for deeper cultural and economic exchanges. He also suggested designating a point of contact to facilitate cooperation on water desalination projects, to which Madbouly assured that he would meet with the Chinese company most suited for this collaboration the following day.
In addition, the Chinese President expressed his openness to the issuance of “Panda Bonds,” and reaffirmed China’s commitment to maintaining a global system based on international law and non-discrimination, as well as preserving the integrity of the international trade order. He also stressed China’s support for Egypt’s efforts to foster stability in the Middle East, particularly in the Red Sea region, and endorsed Egypt’s role in addressing regional conflicts.
Xi took the opportunity to express his gratitude to President El-Sisi, congratulating him on the imminent opening of the Grand Egyptian Museum, and noted his eagerness to visit Egypt during his upcoming African tour. He also conveyed his anticipation of President El-Sisi’s participation in the next Arab-China Summit.
Prime Minister Madbouly, in turn, delivered a message of goodwill from President El-Sisi to President Xi, explaining that geopolitical challenges in the Middle East had prevented the Egyptian leader’s participation in the SCO summit. Madbouly emphasized President El-Sisi’s deep interest in strengthening Egypt’s bilateral relations with China across various fields and expressed anticipation for Xi’s presence at the Grand Egyptian Museum’s inauguration.
Madbouly also reiterated Egypt’s longstanding strategic partnership with China, particularly in the trade and economic sectors. He commended China as Egypt’s primary trading partner and highlighted the success of Chinese enterprises in Egypt, including the industrial developer TEDA, which has invested over $3 billion in the country. Madbouly underscored his government’s commitment to further encouraging Chinese investment in Egypt, particularly in sectors such as electric vehicle manufacturing, renewable energy, and water desalination technologies.
The Prime Minister also reflected on his recent visit to China, where he discussed with Premier Li Qiang the need to encourage Chinese companies to localize the production of components for water desalination plants in Egypt. He expressed his appreciation for China’s ongoing support of Egypt’s financial policies, including the issuance of Panda Bonds, and reiterated Egypt’s commitment to the “One China” policy.
As the meeting concluded, Madbouly expressed his gratitude for President Xi’s support for Egypt’s position on Middle Eastern issues and his backing of Egypt’s ambitious development plans. The two leaders also reaffirmed their mutual desire to see even greater cooperation between China and Egypt in the years ahead, particularly as both nations prepare to celebrate the 70th anniversary of their diplomatic relations in 2026.
