Xi Jinping called on Middle Eastern nations to consider building a new security order free of external interference as he visited Egypt, sharpening the language previously used by the Chinese leader in support of a realignment away from the US.
“The people in the Middle East should be the masters of their own affairs,” Xi said during a meeting on Wednesday with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi in Cairo, according to an official statement from the Chinese Foreign Ministry.
In a veiled jab at the US, Xi also said China would back efforts in the Middle East aimed at “reshaping the security architecture in the region.”
The appeal amplifies the rhetoric Xi has used in the past. The approach outlined by the Chinese leader echoes the views increasingly expressed in state media by Chinese academics who argue that the Iran war is shaking confidence in the US-led order and accelerating efforts in the region to develop security arrangements less dependent on Washington.
Xi’s return to Egypt after a decade comes at a time when some countries in the Middle East are already turning more skeptical about Washington’s guarantees, providing the world’s second-largest economy an opening to deepen its influence. Last month, Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan signed a mutual defense pact, creating a new framework for cooperation that may be widened to include nations like Egypt.
During his talks with Sisi, the Chinese leader’s support for national autonomy was outlined in a four-point initiative that included a call for major powers outside the region to “abandon double standards,” according to the statement.
Xi also said the United Nations should play a greater role in regional affairs, and that Beijing is willing to work with countries in the area to safeguard international shipping lanes and promote development. On Palestine, he said the issue remains at the core of problems in the Middle East and “should never be ignored or marginalized.”
Egypt is a major recipient of US military and foreign aid. Washington and Beijing are currently preparing for a summit between Xi and US President Donald Trump later this month, with the two sides maintaining a fragile tariff truce that’s set to expire in November unless extended.
Sisi separately announced an agreement to launch the third phase of an expansion of the China-Egypt industrial area in the Suez Canal Economic Zone, covering sectors including renewable energy, automotive manufacturing, textiles, and chemical fibers, according to the Egyptian presidency.
China and Egypt agreed to deepen cooperation in areas including green energy, electric vehicles, aerospace and the digital economy, according to Xinhua.
Xi and Sisi also witnessed the signing of agreements covering the Belt and Road Initiative, artificial intelligence, and trade and supply chains. More than 20 cooperation documents were signed in total, Xinhua said.
China has played a key role in some of Egypt’s major infrastructure projects. While Cairo has sought to maintain close relationships with both Beijing and Washington, China is a major trading partner, with bilateral commerce growing substantially since Xi’s previous visit in 2016.
Before departing on Wednesday, Xi and his wife, Peng Liyuan, also joined Sisi and Egypt’s first lady on a visit to the recently opened Grand Egyptian Museum near Cairo, according to the Chinese Foreign Ministry.
With assistance from Michael Gunn.
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