The People’s Liberation Army National Defense University (PLA NDU) plays a pivotal role in “military education diplomacy” to attract Egyptian and Arab military elites. This role has gained increasing momentum since the Gaza War (October 2023), as China seeks to present itself as a strategic security partner, either as an alternative or complement to Western powers. Cooperation between Egyptian military academies (including the Nasser Military Academy) and the “PLA NDU” has also grown through the exchange of delegations and expertise in the fields of strategy and national security. Faculty members and students are hosted in Beijing to exchange views on managing regional crises, particularly the Gaza War and the Palestinian issue. The “PLA NDU” offers several advanced programs specifically designed for foreign officers and their Egyptian counterparts of the rank of colonel and above, enabling it to build a strong network of relationships with the “future elite” in the Arab and Egyptian armies. Through these courses with Egypt and other countries, Chinese military academies seek to instill Chinese military soft power in Egypt and developing countries of the Global South in particular and to disseminate and promote Chinese military doctrine and Beijing’s vision of global security. This is evident in the “Chinese Position Paper,” which calls for comprehensive political solutions to conflicts such as the Gaza war, in line with Arab orientations.
Here, the People’s Liberation Army National Defense University (PLAU) played a pivotal role in deepening strategic and academic military relations with Egypt and Arab countries, particularly in the post-Gaza War era. This was achieved through several avenues, most notably attracting Egyptian and Arab military elites (academic cooperation). One of the most recent forms of professional military and professional training between them is the PLAU’s organization of high-level seminars for commanders. For example, the university organized a seminar for senior military officers from China, Egypt, and other Arab countries (June-July 2024), entitled “Sino-Arab Security Cooperation: A Future-Oriented Approach,” aimed at deepening defense cooperation and promoting the building of a community with a shared future for mankind. Furthermore, the “PLAU” has been keen on organizing numerous international camps for military students and researchers from Egypt and other Arab countries. For instance, the university hosted military students from Egypt and other countries at an international camp in November 2025, which included training activities and academic and cultural exchanges.
The Chinese People’s Liberation Army National Defense University (PLAU) has demonstrated its commitment to supporting higher military education in Egypt and other Arab and Gulf countries. The university has invested in holding virtual and in-person seminars with leaders of higher military education institutions in 16 Arab countries, including Egypt and its military academies, to explore ways to enhance academic cooperation and develop joint military curricula. In June 2024, a high-level delegation from the “PLAU” visited Oman to strengthen cooperation with the Academy of Strategic and Defense Studies there. This approach has been repeated with Egypt and other Arab countries to bolster the “comprehensive strategic partnership” between China and the Arab states, within the framework of Chinese President Xi Jinping’s doctrine and philosophy of a China-Arab community with a shared future.
This joint Egyptian-Chinese military-academic cooperation, facilitated through the Chinese National Defense University, comes within the framework of Egypt’s strategy to diversify its sources of military technology and localize modern defense industries in cooperation with China. Currently, Chinese academies focus their courses for Egyptian and Arab military elites on artificial intelligence and cybersecurity in military contexts. These fields have become a top priority in the new Egyptian military doctrine (as seen in the Nasser Military Academy’s 2025 courses).
The National Defense University of the People’s Liberation Army of China also plays a significant role in training for post-war operations in Gaza. While Egypt trains Palestinian forces to administer the Gaza Strip in the future, China provides political and academic support for these steps through forums held at the Chinese National Defense University. These forums discuss issues and tactics of “collective security,” moving away from unilateral American hegemony.
In November 2024, the Egyptian Military Academy (which oversees Egypt’s higher military academies, such as Nasser Military Academy) received a high-level Chinese military delegation to discuss ways to enhance cooperation in military education and personnel development. This coincided with the restructuring of educational institutions in China. This military cooperation between China and Egypt, in particular, coincided with a broad modernization drive in China, which saw the establishment of three new military academies affiliated with the People’s Liberation Army in May 2025. These academies focus on vital areas, such as information support, joint logistics, and land weapons, opening new avenues for academic exchange between Chinese military academies and Nasser Military Academy in Egypt in the field of modern military technology.
On the other hand, the National University of Defense Technology (NUDT) of the People’s Liberation Army of China is particularly keen on cooperating with Egyptian military academies. The years 2024 and 2025 witnessed an intensification of exchanges with Egyptian military institutions, as follows: The Military Technological College and the Military Technical College in Egypt received delegations from the National University of Defense Technology (NUDT) of China to exchange expertise in advanced educational systems and scientific research between China and Egypt. Agreements were also signed to enhance medical and research cooperation between the Military Medical Academy of China and Egypt and the Egyptian-Chinese University to develop joint military health services between the two countries.
Recent academic cooperation between educational institutions affiliated with the People’s Liberation Army of China, especially the National University of Defense Technology of China (NUDT), and Egyptian military colleges focuses on the transfer and exchange of expertise in advanced technical and engineering disciplines. The most prominent of these specific specializations include:
(Artificial Intelligence and Computer Engineering): focusing on AI applications in military and healthcare systems, (Information and Communications Technology): encompassing advanced networks, electronic warfare systems, and secure communications, (Space Science and Remote Sensing): through the exchange of expertise in satellite applications and space systems, (Modern Applied Technology): through Egyptian military cooperation protocols with the Beijing Institute of Technology (BITC) to train personnel in the fields of innovation and field technological development, (Bioengineering): joint professional master’s programs combining bioengineering and AI applications have been launched between Egypt and China, and (Guidance and Electro-Optical Systems): through developing skills in radar and automated control systems.
Educational cooperation between China’s National Defense University and the Egyptian military has also evolved into field exercises, such as the “Eagles of Civilization 2025” joint air exercise between Egypt and China, which included theoretical and academic components aimed at unifying military combat concepts between the two countries. Furthermore, intelligence and security cooperation and coordination have developed significantly between the Central Military Commission of China, the National Defense University of the People’s Liberation Army, and the Egyptian General Intelligence Directorate, particularly regarding regional crises, especially the situation in Gaza, reflecting the depth of the strategic partnership between the two nations. In addition to the plans of the National Defense University of the People’s Liberation Army of China to organize the joint “Eagles of Civilization” Egyptian-Chinese military exercises from April to May 2025, and its role in providing military and logistical support to Egypt, especially with the launch of the first joint air exercise between Egypt and China in April 2025, where China showcased the capabilities of its fighter jets, known militarily as the J-10C, and Chinese early warning systems, known militarily as the KJ-500. This paved the way for arms deals and advanced technical training between China and Egypt, including training Egyptian personnel, officers, and soldiers in advanced Chinese military technology.
The year 2025 witnessed a qualitative leap in academic and military cooperation between Egypt and China, extending beyond field exercises to include the exchange of theoretical and practical academic expertise through the “Eagles of Civilization 2025” exercise. The Central Military Commission of China and the National Defense University of the People’s Liberation Army of China organized the “Eagles of Civilization Egypt-China April-May 2025 exercises and maneuvers,” the first joint air exercise of its kind between the two countries. The exercise included an intensive academic component comprising (theoretical and practical lectures) to unify combat concepts and exchange scientific expertise in managing air operations between Egypt and China and (strategic planning), which constituted joint training in planning and managing complex combat operations, the core of the professional joint military academic work between China and Egypt. In addition, technical expertise was exchanged between China and Egypt. The Eagles of Civilization Egypt-China exercises and maneuvers included training on advanced topics, such as air refueling, combat search and rescue, and suppression of enemy air defenses, known militarily as “SEAD” (Seasonal Air Defense Operations).
This Egyptian-Chinese military academic cooperation encompassed numerous technical educational aspects, drawing on extensive Chinese expertise, related to the integration of Chinese fighter aircraft, such as: J-(10C), in the Egyptian Navy, this necessitates advanced training courses for Egyptian pilots and engineers at Chinese academies and institutions.
Here, China, through the Central Military Commission of China and the National Defense University of the People’s Liberation Army, seeks to offer such military training programs to Egyptian, Gulf, and Arab military academies. This aims to present a “joint defense doctrine with China” as an educational and strategic alternative, independent of American and Western military thought. From a Chinese military perspective, this doctrine relies on “defense policy” and digital transformation of the military, moving away from the traditional dominance of Western and American training programs. China utilizes these academic, military, and training tools to enhance its soft power within Egyptian and Arab military elites and academies, leveraging political consensus on regional issues, such as Gaza, to present itself as a reliable strategic partner and provider of advanced military technology.
The People’s Liberation Army National Defense University (PLAU) plays a pivotal role in formulating all of China’s military plans, programs, and future policies in cooperation with Egyptian, Gulf, and Arab military academies and elites. The “PLAU” is the highest institution for professional military education in China, operating under the direct leadership of the Central Military Commission, chaired by President “Xi Jinping.” Its main campus is located in Beijing, and it has affiliated military academies throughout the country. The university, in its current form, was established in 1985 by a military order from former Chinese President “Deng Xiaoping”, but its roots trace back to 1927. Its main campus is located in the Haidian District of Beijing. Its primary mission is to educate and train senior military officers and commanders from China and other countries, particularly developing nations of the Global South and Egypt; conduct strategic research; formulate military doctrine; and contribute to the modernization of the People’s Liberation Army.
Through the preceding analysis and military overview, we understand the extent to which the People’s Liberation Army National Defense University of China has sought to build cooperative relationships with military academies in other countries, particularly Egypt, the Nasser Military Academy, and other Egyptian military academies. It has conducted academic exchanges and reciprocal visits with delegations from Egypt and various other countries, including: Saudi Arabia, Oman, and the United States, to consolidate and disseminate Chinese soft power and military doctrine in Egypt, the Middle East, the developing Global South, and globally.
