Egypt, China celebrate 64th relations anniversary

CAIRO – 30 May 2020: Today, Egypt and China celebrate the 64^th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

Relations between Egypt and China have been evolving since a meeting between President Gamal Abdel Nasser and Chinese Premier Zhou Enlai in 1955, where they agreed to establish formal diplomatic relations which materialized in 1956.

Egypt was the first Arab, African and Middle Eastern country to establish an embassy in Beijing.

Moreover, Egypt has supported China’s membership at the United Nations with a firm belief that it was the rightful representative of the Chinese people.

China has also supported Egypt during all its hardships in the two decades that followed, thereby paving the road for a prosperous relationship based on mutual respect and support.

Relations between the two countries further shined and evolved remarkably under the leadership of H.E. President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi and H.E. President Xi Jinping with a mutual vision to upgrade relations between the two states.


Saladin Citadel is lit up in red and golden stars to resemble the national flag of China as a sign of solidarity in combating the novel coronavirus in Cairo, Egypt on March 1. SOURCE: Xinhua

Egypt was also among the supporters of the Belt and Road Initiative proposed by President Jinping in 2013.

In September 2015, President Sisi showed the seriousness of his intent to deepen ties by attending Beijing’s celebration of the seventieth anniversary of the end of World War II. Four months later, President Xi traveled to Cairo at Sisi’s invitation, the first such visit by a Chinese leader since 2004.

Most recently, Sisi traveled to Beijing this April to attend the Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation alongside thirty-seven other world leaders.

On an economic scale, Chinese investment in Egypt and bilateral trade has grown significantly over the past years. The bilateral trade rose from $11 billion to reach over $13 billion in 2019.

Chinese companies have increased their activities in Egypt as a result of the immense economic structural reform program which Egypt undertook.

Consultation and coordination continue between the Egyptian and Chinese sides on the implementation of 30 projects, and it has importance and priority during the coming period in the areas of industrial development, trade facilitation, enterprise interconnection, and capacity building.