Chinese President Xi Jinping arrives in Cairo for meeting with Egypt President Abdul Fattah al-Sisi

Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in Cairo after a Shanghai Cooperation Organization meeting in Kyrgyzstan, beginning a state visit centered on China-Egypt relations and regional affairs.

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi welcomed Xi with a 21-gun salute and an honor guard at Cairo’s Ittihadiya Palace. Egyptian media described Xi as a dear guest and a friend of the Egyptian people.

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set an example of friendship, solidarity, and coordination between developing countries, with strong political mutual trust.

Chinese state media Xinhua quoted Xi as saying that China and Egypt “set an example of friendship, solidarity, and coordination between developing countries, with strong political mutual trust.” He also described their relationship as a traditional friendship between two ancient civilizations that had endured for thousands of years.

Xi said the two countries had stood by each other during the 70 years since establishing diplomatic relations. He planned to hold an in-depth exchange with Sisi on bilateral ties, broad cooperation and international and regional issues of common concern.

Sisi highlighted expanding cooperation in trade, investment, tourism and cultural exchanges. He said the relationship rested on mutual respect, shared interests and cooperation, and described Xi’s visit as the start of a new phase in increasingly developed ties.

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China and Egypt are both ancient civilizations, with a traditional friendship that has endured for thousands of years and stood the test of time.

Xi also called for the rejection of external interference in the Middle East. Xinhua said he urged external powers to abandon double standards in the region.

The visit followed Shanghai Cooperation Organization meetings where China, Russia and other participants stressed the importance of a multipolar world order. Egypt’s welcome placed the bilateral relationship within that broader emphasis on cooperation among developing countries.

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Today, as we welcome President Xi Jinping to his second home, Egypt, we are embarking on a new phase of our increasingly developed relations.