Xi Urges New Middle East Security Order in Egypt as China Expands $4 Billion Suez Foothold
Updated
Updated · Al Jazeera English · Sep 2
Xi Urges New Middle East Security Order in Egypt as China Expands $4 Billion Suez Foothold
3 articles · Updated · Al Jazeera English · Sep 2
Summary
On his first Cairo visit in a decade, Xi told President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi that Middle East states should oppose external interference and strengthen regional dialogue on peace and security.
The push comes as the six-month US-Israel war with Iran shakes confidence in Washington's security role and drives regional powers to diversify alliances beyond the US.
Egypt and China also agreed to launch phase three of their Suez Canal industrial zone, where officials say about 200 companies already operate with roughly $4 billion in investment.
That expansion gives Beijing deeper reach in a critical trade corridor as conflict disrupts traffic through the Strait of Hormuz and the Bab al-Mandeb.
Xi's diplomacy in Cairo, ahead of an expected Trump meeting this month, underscores China's bid to pair investment with a larger security role in the Middle East.