Egypt's PM Meets Chinese President on Sidelines of SCO Plus Summit

Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly met with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Saturday at the state guesthouse in Tianjin, where the two leaders held wide-ranging talks on bilateral cooperation and regional issues. The meeting took place on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Plus Summit, which Madbouly attended on behalf of President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi.

At the start of the talks, President Xi asked Madbouly to convey his warm greetings to President El-Sisi, praising Egypt’s accession to the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) as the first Arab and African state to join. He noted that next year marks the 70th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and Egypt, highlighting the strong and deep-rooted ties binding the two nations.

Xi emphasized that relations between Cairo and Beijing are currently at their strongest level ever, stressing his personal friendship with President El-Sisi. He expressed China’s support for Egypt’s sovereignty and reiterated appreciation for Cairo’s consistent backing of the “One China” policy.

The Chinese leader affirmed Beijing’s commitment to supporting Chinese companies operating in Egypt, expanding their investments, and deepening cooperation in strategic areas such as renewable energy, electric vehicle production, and energy project components. He also expressed support for boosting Chinese tourism to Egypt, enhancing joint efforts on water desalination projects, and reopening discussions on issuing Panda bonds as part of bilateral financial cooperation.

Xi praised Egypt’s role in the Middle East, underlining China’s support for resolving regional issues through dialogue and coordination with Cairo. He welcomed Egypt’s efforts to stabilize the Red Sea region and its role in conflict resolution across the Middle East. Xi also congratulated Egypt on the upcoming opening of the Grand Egyptian Museum, saying he looked forward to visiting Egypt during his next African tour and invited President El-Sisi to attend the next Arab-China Summit.

For his part, Prime Minister Madbouly conveyed President El-Sisi’s greetings and explained that regional geopolitical circumstances prevented his direct participation in the SCO summit. He reaffirmed Egypt’s commitment to strengthening relations with China in all fields, stressing that Cairo regards Beijing as a strategic partner.

Madbouly highlighted that China is Egypt’s largest trading partner, with Chinese companies investing more than $3 billion in successful projects such as the TEDA industrial zone. He expressed hope for increased Chinese investments, particularly in the localization of electric vehicle production, renewable energy expansion, and water desalination technology.

He also expressed gratitude for China’s support in financial cooperation, including the issuance of Panda bonds and efforts to promote local currency exchanges between the two countries. Finally, Madbouly reaffirmed Egypt’s commitment to the “One China” principle, thanking Beijing for its support of Egypt’s positions on Middle Eastern issues and for its backing of Egypt’s development goals.