China’s cooperation with Egypt reflects a new Chinese vision for South-South cooperation, based on equality and non-interference. It reflects Beijing’s commitment to advancing cooperation toward strategic horizons that transcend traditional interests and build alliances capable of influencing the future of the international order. Egypt’s strong support and backing of President “Abdel Fattah El-Sisi” for the Global Governance Initiative, launched by Chinese President “Xi Jinping” in early September 2025, aims to enhance global cooperation to increase capacity to address common challenges and narrow the development gap between the countries of the North and the South. China and Egypt categorically reject the Cold War mentality, protectionism, unipolarity, and hegemonic policies pursued by the United States globally, particularly after the recent Gaza war and the United States’ use of its veto power to block any resolutions calling for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, the entry of humanitarian aid, or condemning Israel. From the Chinese and Egyptian perspectives, this calls for a reconsideration of the global governance system, especially since the United Nations was primarily established to achieve governance and provide legal frameworks regulating international relations. China’s massive military parade marking the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II demonstrated China’s strength and resolve to maintain global peace and development. The 2025 Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Summit, held in Tianjin, China, also highlighted the strong political will of China and its ruling Communist Party to contribute to reforming and improving the global governance system. The Tianjin Summit is the largest, most fruitful, and most successful summit in the history of the “SCO” to date. Through it, China and President “Xi Jinping” championed the principles of global governance, adhering to mutual benefit and win-win outcomes, openness and inclusiveness, justice and fairness, and pragmatism and efficiency in order to achieve justice and advance cooperation policies among developing countries of the Global South in the face of American and Western hegemonic policies.
In this context, Egypt and China have achieved fruitful results in comprehensive cooperation and advancing cooperation within the developing global South. Currently, the Egyptian and Chinese sides are working jointly to implement the outcomes of the first China-Arab States Summit and the China-Africa Cooperation Forum and to advance the eight major initiatives for China-Arab practical cooperation proposed at the first China-Arab States Summit, as well as the nine programs for practical cooperation between China and Africa. Therefore, this joint Egyptian-Chinese cooperation in advancing and achieving China’s Global Governance Initiative will bring tangible benefits to the two peoples and to the peoples of the region and will make China-Egypt relations a model for building a “community of shared destiny, mutual benefit, and win-win” between China and the Arab countries and between China and the African countries, in accordance with the vision of Chinese President “Xi Jinping.”
This year marks the 80th anniversary of the United Nations, a matter of great interest to political circles in Egypt and China. Both Egypt and China are increasingly playing an increasingly important role in maintaining world peace and promoting international justice, particularly in light of worsening geopolitical crises. More than ever, the two countries need to continue strengthening mutual support and expanding cooperation, particularly with the growing signs of American hegemony and bullying and its disregard for relevant international institutions and conventions, most notably UN agreements and associated institutions. Both Egypt and China reject this approach in their confrontation with Washington, particularly after the escalating scale of genocide in the Gaza Strip. Egypt’s recent accession to both the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and the BRICS bloc represents a significant step that has strengthened Cairo’s position on the international stage and contributed to raising the voice of countries in the Global South. The deepening political trust between Cairo and Beijing and the intensification of cooperation in various fields have yielded tangible results that serve the interests of both countries, particularly within the framework of China’s new diplomacy in the region, and demonstrate China’s keen interest in developing relations with Egypt as a close strategic partner.Cairo is a cornerstone of Sino-Arab relations and a gateway for cooperation with Africa. This contributes to strengthening China’s efforts to build a “China-Arab community of shared destiny” through Cairo, based on equal cooperation and shared development.
Cairo is a pivotal point for China’s Belt and Road Initiative, particularly through the China-Egypt Industrial Capacity Cooperation Zone (TEDA) in Suez Governorate, which has become a successful model for industrial integration on the African continent. Egypt’s development agenda, represented by Egypt Vision 2030, aligns with China’s priorities in clean energy, advanced technology, and manufacturing.
The Egyptian state has also become increasingly interested in enhancing coordination and cooperation with the Chinese company Huawei and leveraging its vast expertise and capabilities to introduce 5G networks in Egypt and the Middle East. This is particularly true given Egypt’s current focus on the communications and information technology sector, which is keen to enter the “era of comprehensive digitization” with China’s assistance and support. Egypt also looks forward to increasing the volume of Huawei’s activities in Egypt in the coming period, particularly in the so-called “data centers,” as Egypt is one of the largest countries in the world through which communications cables pass. With the Egyptian government and President El-Sisi’s interest in localizing Chinese technology in Egypt, training local workers, and providing job opportunities in the Egyptian market, Egypt fully welcomes the projects proposed by Huawei, in cooperation and coordination with the Egyptian Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, including cooperation in improving Egypt’s AI readiness index. In the same context, Egypt aspires to become a technology hub in the region, given its distinguished geographical location and the passage of internet cables through it. This qualifies it to become a center for big data. This interest has been compounded by the Egyptian state’s interest in the Cloud Computing Center project, which Huawei proposes to implement in Egypt in cooperation with the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology.
Even at the level of political coordination and mutual support between China and Egypt at the United Nations, regionally, and globally, Egypt has maintained its support for the “One China policy” in all international forums, including within the United Nations and the League of Arab States.Following the visit of former US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi affirmed that Egypt supports the “One China” policy. President “El-Sisi” stated that “Egypt’s policy on the situation in Taiwan is unwavering, and that Egypt’s support for the One China policy serves global security and stability, as we do not want further global crises that could affect global peace and stability.” Cairo also provides valuable support to Beijing on issues that affect its core interests, especially the Taiwan issue. China firmly supports Egypt in preserving its sovereignty and national security and pursuing a development path that suits its national circumstances.
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi and his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, enjoy strong relations, described by both Chinese and Egyptian media as friendly. Over the past years, China has been Egypt’s largest trading partner, with trade volume between the two countries reaching $3.4 billion. Bilateral relations have also been upgraded to a comprehensive strategic partnership under Egyptian President “El-Sisi.”
Accordingly, we understand that the Chinese partnership with Egypt embodies the principles of global governance. The convergence between China’s Belt and Road Initiative and Egypt’s Vision 2030 enhances opportunities for development cooperation between the two parties and confirms the two countries’ commitment to dialogue and consultation and to rejecting hegemony and interference, in line with the principles of global governance. This is particularly true in promoting the rule of international law within the United Nations and in all international forums to support developing countries of the Global South, away from the policies of exclusion, hegemony, and the Cold War mentality that Washington currently pursues in its dealings with the world.
