Chinese Pres\u00adident Xi Jinping arrived in Egypt on Tuesday evening, making a rare trip to the Middle East as both countries face the threat of US sanctions over financial links to Iran.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The months-long Middle East war,<\/a> which began when the United States and Israel jointly launched strikes against Iran on February 28, has thrown the crucial trade region into crisis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Washington vowed last month to destabilise Teh\u00adran economically, warning of expanded sanctions against Tehran\u2019s backers and partners that could hit Egyptian and Chinese banks, among others.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Xi\u2019s visit \u201ccomes at a time when China\u2019s economic interests are directly exposed to the US-Iran war\u201d, said Gamal Salama, political science professor at Egypt\u2019s Suez University.<\/p>\n\n\n\n China is \u201cclearly seeking Egypt\u2019s cooperation in managing and shaping regi\u00ado\u00adnal affairs\u201d, said Liu Jia, a research fellow at the Singapore-based Mid\u00addle East Institute.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Beijing works closely with regional actors such as Egypt, which mediates bet\u00adween Israel and Palestinian groups, Liu added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Both China and Egypt support an independent Palestinian state as part of a two-state solution.<\/p>\n\n\n\n US threat to Egypt<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n As part of its economic pressure campaign targeting Iran, Washington last week said it would cut off the operations of Egypt\u2019s Ban\u00adque Misr<\/a> in the UAE from the US financial system. China, in response to the US threats, has vowed to safeguard its interests.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Chinese and Egyp\u00adtian militaries carried out joint air combat exercises in August that featured J-16 fighter jets. Xi\u2019s meeting with his Egyptian counterpart Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, scheduled for Wednesday, follows a visit to Beijing by Jordan\u2019s King Abdullah II, whose country has also been caught up in the US war with Iran.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Xi told Abdullah in Aug\u00adust China \u201cbelieves in the sov\u00ade\u00adreignty and security of regional countries\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n