China's President Xi to hold talks with Egyptian counterpart in Cairo

China’s President Xi Jinping will travel to Egypt in the coming days in what will be his first state visit to the country in 10 years.

He is due to hold talks with President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi to discuss ways to strengthen their strategic partnership across various fields of mutual interest.

They are also expected to exchange views on ⁠international and regional issues of common concern.

The visit will take place as Egypt and China mark 70 years since the establishment of diplomatic relations in May 1956.

This was elevated to a comprehensive strategic partnership during President El-Sisi’s first official visit to China in December 2014.

Since then, they have taken several steps to elevate bilateral relations.

Economic cooperation has expanded, with Egyptian companies signing 17 export contracts worth about $168 million with Chinese buyers last month, covering agricultural products, textiles, minerals, and engineering goods.

Defence cooperation has also expanded and the two countries held the joint air exercise - Eagles of Civilization 2026 - at Egyptian air bases earlier this month.

Egypt’s Ministry of Investment and Foreign Trade put bilateral trade at about $19.52 billion in 2025, describing China as one of the country’s largest trading partners.