China can play a supportive role in Egypt’s Decent Life initiative, launched by Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi to promote development. This ultimately contributes to improving the economic and service environment for Egyptians and refugees residing in the targeted villages. While Sino-Egyptian cooperation focuses on comprehensive development, any additional Chinese support for the Decent Life initiative will contribute to raising the overall quality of life in the targeted villages and addressing the needs of the targeted refugees, thus easing the burden on both the Egyptian government and its citizens. This was also emphasized by Chinese diplomat Xu Min, the Chinese consul general in Alexandria, in an interview with Egyptian media on Thursday, April 9, 2026, when she stated that: The Egyptian state is moving towards achieving development that suits its national circumstances, and the ‘Decent Life’ and ‘100 Million Healthy Lives’ initiatives have contributed to bringing about rapid changes in the features of the Egyptian state. With the confirmation of Chinese diplomat Xu Min, who stated that China is ready to share its experiences with the international community and Egypt, offering Chinese models for improving national governance and enhancing livelihood guarantees, recent statements by the Chinese consul general in Alexandria, Xu Min, underscore the importance of the strategic partnership between Egypt and China and Beijing’s support for Egyptian development initiatives such as Decent Life and 100 Million Healthy Lives, with a focus on high-quality development and global stability. China is also prepared to work with the European Union, UN refugee agencies, the international community, and civil society to address the needs of refugees in Egypt. Furthermore, discussions and consultations with Egypt are possible regarding the mechanisms, sources, and guarantees for direct Chinese funding to integrate Arab and African refugees in Cairo within the framework of these Egyptian development initiatives, such as Decent Life and 100 Million Healthy Lives, in line with China’s vision of promoting peace, sustainable development, and international cooperation.
In this context, the statement by the Chinese Consul General in Alexandria, Xu Min, highlights a vital aspect of Egyptian-Chinese relations: development diplomacy, which is as important as military cooperation. This is especially true given Xu Min’s emphasis on respecting Egypt’s national sovereignty, as demonstrated by his assertion that Egypt is proceeding according to its own national circumstances. This reflects the Chinese political doctrine that every country has the right to choose its own development path, independent of pre-established models, thus strengthening political and developmental ties between Cairo and Beijing. Furthermore, Chinese diplomacy has praised Egyptian presidential initiatives. The Chinese side’s interest in initiatives by President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, such as Decent Life and 100 Million Healthy Lives, stems from their alignment with China’s experience in lifting hundreds of millions out of poverty and developing rural healthcare systems. This opens the door for exchanging expertise with China in the field of human development. From my analytical perspective, Alexandria stands out as a strategic hub for China’s Belt and Road Initiative. The statements made by Chinese diplomat Xu Min, in her capacity as China’s consul general in Alexandria, are not coincidental. The Egyptian port city represents a key focal point for China’s Belt and Road Initiative, through Chinese investments in its ports and industrial zones. This Chinese discourse confirms that China views Egypt not merely as a military or trade partner, but as a regional development model aligned with its vision of a community with a shared future, as outlined in the initiative and vision of Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Here, the Chinese vision presented by Xu Min rests on several fundamental pillars, most notably supporting Egyptian national initiatives. The Chinese Consul General in Alexandria praised the Decent Life and 100 Million Healthy Lives initiatives as effective tools that have brought about rapid changes in the landscape of the Egyptian state. With China’s affirmation that the plans and projects of its 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-2030) can serve Egypt’s development goals and the issues of the Global South, China focuses in its new 15th Five-Year Plan on strengthening global stability and supporting development in partner countries such as Egypt and other countries of the Global South in a manner appropriate to their national circumstances. China also calls for international cooperation to generate positive energy that supports security and development. This opens the door for joint cooperation with international organizations, the international community, the United Nations, and the European Union to support and address developmental issues related to refugees, particularly in Egypt, by providing appropriate funding to the Egyptian government in this regard. This is usually done within bilateral or multilateral frameworks agreed upon by the concerned countries under the supervision and guidance of the Egyptian state.
From my analytical perspective as an Egyptian expert specializing in Chinese politics and the policies of the ruling Communist Party of China, the potential Chinese role in integrating Arab and African refugees in Egypt lies within the framework of the Egyptian Decent Life initiative. This can be achieved through China’s role in supporting infrastructure, local projects, and services in Egypt. China has expressed its desire to strengthen cooperation with Egypt in the areas of infrastructure and industrial zones and to support development initiatives like Decent Life. China can play a role in supporting Egyptian decent life projects and initiatives by supporting joint manufacturing sectors and small projects. China can contribute to advancing small and medium-sized enterprises that serve local communities, creating job opportunities for citizens and refugees living in those areas. Here, China can play a significant role through financing and investing in Egyptian Decent Life initiative projects aimed at integrating refugees, especially given the presence of more than 2,800 Chinese companies in Egypt and their substantial investments. Future investments could be directed towards supporting the most needy areas covered by the initiative. The Egyptian side can explore the possibility of China playing a financial or service-oriented role in integrating refugees into Egyptian society and its service infrastructure, especially given China’s inclination towards this. China often prefers to support infrastructure projects and comprehensive economic development that indirectly benefit both the host (Egyptian community and refugees) by improving public services. This serves China’s long-term development agenda within the framework of international cooperation, as evidenced by its emphasis on walking together towards a more peaceful world. China remains open to cooperation with the United Nations, the European Union, and the entire international community on projects that contribute to the stability of both Egypt and the region.
Based on the preceding analysis, we understand that the discourse of Chinese diplomacy strongly supports Egypt’s development path and considers Egyptian national initiatives (Decent Life, 100 Million Healthy Lives) as a fundamental pillar of this progress. With the highlighting of China’s future financial role in integrating Arab and African refugees in Egypt within the framework of Chinese services, financing projects, and investments under the Belt and Road Initiative, this will be linked to future agreements serving the issues of comprehensive development between Egypt and China, with a focus on long-term stability. The main objective of integrating the Egyptian Decent Life Initiative and how Arab and African refugees can benefit from it and China’s role in this lies in several reasons. While the Decent Life Initiative focuses primarily on raising the standard of living for Egyptian citizens in rural areas, improving services (health, education, infrastructure) in these villages with Chinese assistance, support, and funding creates a more suitable environment for everyone, including refugees residing in these areas. This facilitates their social and economic integration, which will be an additional success factor for the Chinese Belt and Road Initiative and its development goals.
