Chinese President 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.
The months-long Middle East war, which began when the United States and Israel jointly launched strikes against Iran on February 28, has thrown the crucial trade region into crisis.
Washington vowed last month to destabilise Tehran economically, warning of expanded sanctions against Tehran’s backers and partners that could hit Egyptian and Chinese banks, among others.
Xi’s visit “comes at a time when China’s economic interests are directly exposed to the US-Iran war”, said Gamal Salama, political science professor at Egypt’s Suez University.
China is “clearly seeking Egypt’s cooperation in managing and shaping regional affairs”, said Liu Jia, a research fellow at the Singapore-based Middle East Institute.
Beijing works closely with regional actors such as Egypt, which mediates between Israel and Palestinian groups, Liu added.
Both China and Egypt support an independent Palestinian state as part of a two-state solution.
US threat to Egypt
As part of its economic pressure campaign targeting Iran, Washington last week said it would cut off the operations of Egypt’s Banque Misr in the UAE from the US financial system. China, in response to the US threats, has vowed to safeguard its interests.
The Chinese and Egyptian militaries carried out joint air combat exercises in August that featured J-16 fighter jets. Xi’s meeting with his Egyptian counterpart Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, scheduled for Wednesday, follows a visit to Beijing by Jordan’s King Abdullah II, whose country has also been caught up in the US war with Iran.
Xi told Abdullah in August China “believes in the sovereignty and security of regional countries”.
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