China-EgyptrelationstakingonanewleaseoflifeByHeWenping
TheChina-EgyptSuezEconomicandTradeCooperationZone,locatedattheGulfofSuez,ispartoftheprojectandwillplayasignificantroleinpromotingbilateralstrategiccooperation,facilitatingindustrialtransfers,andfosteringEgyptianeconomicdevelopment.
OnMay30,1956,EgyptbecamethefirstArabandAfricannationtorecognizeandestablishdiplomaticrelationswiththePeople鈥檚RepublicofChina.Fiftyyearslater,inNovember2006,thehalf-centuryanniversaryoftheestablishmentofChina-EgyptandChina-AfricadiplomaticrelationswascommemoratedattheBeijingSummitoftheForumonChina-AfricaCooperation(FOCAC),whereeightinitiativestoreinforceChina-Africacooperationwereproposed.Fittingly,inhonorofthe60thanniversaryoftheestablishmentofChina-Egyptdiplomaticrelations,ChinesePresidentXiJinping鈥檚firststatevisitin2016includedEgypt,indicatinganewhistoricalstartingpointfromwhichbilateralrelationswillbefurtherdeepened.
Friendsinneed
ThefriendshipbetweenChinaandEgyptdatesbacktotheBandungConferencein1955,whenthenChinesePremierZhouEnlaiandEgyptianPresidentGamalAbdelNasserlaidthefoundationfortherelationship.Sincetheestablishmentofdiplomaticties,bilateralcooperationhasbeenreinforcedandhaswithstoodthetestofchanginginternationalsituations.
Sixtyyearsago,ChinasupportedEgypt鈥檚fightagainstBritishandFrenchmilitaryinterferencetorestoreCairo鈥檚sovereigntyovertheSuezCanal.WhenEgyptianswerefightingforstabilityanddevelopmentaftertheturbulenceofthe鈥淎rabSpring,鈥滳hinagavethenationitsstrongsupport.Factsarethebestindicatorsoftruefriendship.Bilateraltradeincreasedby26.5percentyearonyear,totaling$8.8billionin2011evenwhenEgypt鈥檚economywasseverelydamagedbypoliticalinstability.Inthesameyear,China鈥檚directinvestmentinEgyptamountedto$82.8million,anincreaseof60.4percentfromthepreviousyear.
AsaregionalpowerintheMiddleEastandNorthAfrica,EgypthasbeenplayingasignificantroleinpromotingChina鈥檚relationswiththeAfricancontinentandArabnations.AcollectivedialogueplatformbetweenChinaandArabcountrieswasinitiatedwhentheChina-ArabStatesCooperationForumwasestablishedattheArabLeagueheadquartersinCairoin2004.InNovember2009,EgyptpresidedovertheFourthMinisterialConferenceoftheFOCACatitscoastalcityofSharmelSheikh.ChinaandEgyptestablishedacomprehensivestrategicpartnershipattheendof2014.InSeptember2015,EgyptianPresidentAbdelFattahal-SisimadehissecondvisittoChinaduringhispresidencyandattendedthecommemorativemilitaryparadeatthe70thAnniversaryofVictoryofChinesePeople鈥檚ResistanceagainstJapaneseAggressionandWorldAnti-FascistWar.EgyptiansoldiersformedtheonlyAfricanandArabianformationatthevictorydayparadeatTiananmenSquareinBeijing,showcasingtheenduringandstaunchfriendshipbetweenthetwocountries.
Newstart,newchapter
ChinesePresidentXiJinping鈥檚visittoEgyptatthebeginningof2016openedanewchapterinChina-Egyptfriendshipbyreinforcingpoliticalanddiplomaticmutualtrustandstrengtheningeconomiccooperation.
Politicallyanddiplomatically,thetwosidesexchangedviewsonstategovernanceaswellaspoliciesandpositionsonmajorinternationalandregionalissuesofcommonconcern.Boththepresidentsreiteratedthattheywouldsupporteachothertosafeguardmutualcoreinterests,adheretoacomprehensivestrategicpartnershipandmaintainthepoliticalconsultationmechanismbetweentheforeignministriesofthetwocountries.XialsoinvitedSisitoattendtheG20SummittobeheldinHangzhou,capitalcityofeastChina鈥檚ZhejiangProvince,inSeptember.
DuringhisvisittoEgypt,PresidentXideliveredaspeechattheArabLeagueheadquarters,elaboratingChina鈥檚policyonArabstates.Thepolicyfocusesonfosteringregionalpeaceandstability,conductingwin-wincooperationundertheframeworkoftheBeltandRoadInitiative,andcontributingtosolvingthePalestinianissueinajustandreasonableway.XistressedthatChinawillpromotepeacetalksintheregion.HealsosaidChinawillneitherseekanysphereofinfluencenorattempttofillany鈥渧acuum鈥漣ntheregion,butpromotebuildingacooperativepartnershipforthereestablishmentofaprosperousArabregion.ChinawillalsopromoteculturalexchangesandmutuallearningwithArabstates.China鈥檚standwaswelcomedbyArabcountriesandtheinternationalcommunity.
EconomiccooperationwashighlightedundertheframeworkofacomprehensivestrategicpartnershipandtheBeltandRoadInitiative.DuringXi鈥檚visit,21bilateraldealstotaling$10billionweresignedtostrengthencooperationinareaslikepowersupply,infrastructureconstruction,trade,energy,finance,aerospace,culture,technologyandclimatechange.Thedealsincludea$2.7-billionpackagetobuildEgypt鈥檚newadministrativecapital,a$1-billionloan,andbilateralcooperationininfrastructurethroughtheAsianInfrastructureInvestmentBank.ThesewillspearheadfutureChina-Egyptcooperationandtakebilateraltradeandeconomiccooperationtonewheights.
Asancientcivilizationswithlonghistories,ChinaandEgypthavesplendidcultures.PresidentXisaidthesetwogreatcivilizationsshouldstrengthenpeople-to-peopleexchangesandconsolidatepublicsupportforbilateraltiesinhisspeechattheceremonymarkingthe60thanniversaryofChina-Egyptdiplomaticrelations.