China supports Egypt to maintain sovereignty, achieve development: Chinese FM

CAIRO – 15 January 2023: The ministers of foreign affairs of Egypt and China held Sunday a joint press conference, as Minister Qin Gang is visiting Cairo within an African tour, stipulating mutual desire to reinforce bilateral relations.

The Chinese foreign minister expressed his country’s eagerness for supporting Egypt to maintain its sovereignty and achieve development. He similarly underscored Egypt’s inclusion in the Belt and Road project, and China’s willingness to import more Egyptian products.

In another context, the minister reiterated China’s keenness on not interfering with the internal affairs of Egypt to maintain the path of good ties the two countries already have.

On his side, Egypt’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Sameh Shokry said that Egypt aims for accomplishing comprehensive strategic partnership with China, commending the participation of Chinese firms in Egypt’s developmental endeavors and infrastructure projects.

Revealing the matters tackled during their meeting, Minister Shokry said, "we discussed the necessity of combating terrorism through a holistic approach…preserving the sovereignty and territorial integrity of countries that have experienced conflicts…inhibiting double standards when handling various issues."

In that context, Minister Gang said that China calls on world countries to respect the sovereignty of Middle East states. Commenting on the Palestinian Cause, the minister called on all parties involved, especially the Israeli side, to refrain from engaging in any provocations or escalation, saying that China supports a fair and permanent solution to the issue.

Minister Shokry noted during the press conference that the issues they had conferred over included the Palestinian Cause, as well as the political and economic consequences of the Russia-Ukraine War regionally and internationally. That’s in the addition to the updates of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) crisis.

Newly-appointed Chinese Minister of Foreign Affairs Qin Gang is holding on January 9-16 a tour in Africa that includes Egypt, where he will also meet with the secretary-general of the Arab League, Gabon, Ethiopia, Angola, and Benin.