Xi calls for deepening Sino-Egyptian cooperation and puts forward a proposal for the Middle East

Chinese President Xi Jinping on Wednesday called on China and Egypt to support each other, deepen cooperation and continue to push forward the construction of a Sino-Egyptian community with a shared future amid a turbulent international and regional landscape.

Xi made the remarks during his talks with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, underscoring China’s support for countries in the region in building a new security architecture in the Middle East by advocating a common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security vision.

Strengthen cooperation in bilateral exchanges

Noting that Egypt was the first Arab and African nation to establish diplomatic ties with the People’s Republic of China in 1956, Xi said the older generation leaders of the two countries led their peoples to fight side by side for national independence and against imperialism and colonialism, creating an unbreakable bond of friendship.

Over the past seven decades, China-Egypt relations have overcome challenges and developed distinctive characteristics of equality and mutual trust, friendship and mutual learning, solidarity and mutual support, as well as win-win cooperation, he said.

Xi said the China-Egypt comprehensive strategic partnership has made great strides in recent years under the leadership of the two heads of state. The two sides share similar views and have closely aligned strategies in pursuing development and revitalization, improving people’s well-being and supporting international equity and justice, he added.

Xi stressed that China and Egypt should firmly support each other, maintain the momentum of high-level exchanges, strengthen exchanges and cooperation in all fields and at all levels, and strengthen exchanges and mutual learning on governance experience.

Xi said the two sides should promote mutually beneficial cooperation, better align their development strategies, tap the potential of cooperation in traditional fields such as infrastructure development, energy, agriculture and communications technologies, and promote new highlights of cooperation in green energy, electric vehicles, aerospace, digital economy and modern agricultural technology.

The two sides should promote people-to-people exchanges, comprehensively expand exchanges and cooperation in culture, education, science and technology, health, sports and other fields, facilitate personnel exchanges and strengthen people-to-people ties, Xi said.

The two sides should strengthen security cooperation, jointly fight transnational crime, deepen international cooperation in fighting corruption, firmly support each other in counter-terrorism efforts and safeguard their common security, Xi said.

The two sides should strengthen multilateral collaboration, further enhance coordination and cooperation on multilateral platforms such as the United Nations and BRICS, jointly promote the development of the China-Arab States Cooperation Forum and the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, jointly oppose unilateralism and bullying, and promote a more just and equitable global governance system, Xi said.

For his part, Sisi welcomed Xi’s historic state visit to Egypt on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of diplomatic ties between the two countries.

Sisi said that since diplomatic relations were established, bilateral ties have developed solidly and steadily, and cooperation in various fields has produced fruitful results.

Egypt firmly adheres to the one-China principle and is committed to further advancing the Egypt-China comprehensive strategic partnership, Sisi added.

Egypt is ready to work with China to deepen cooperation in trade and investment, manufacturing, infrastructure development, finance, science and technology and new energy, strengthen military and security exchanges, and promote closer people-to-people exchanges, so as to benefit the two peoples and contribute to regional development and prosperity, Sisi said.

Sisi said that China, as a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, plays an important and constructive role in international affairs. Egypt stands ready to strengthen coordination with China on multilateral platforms, jointly address global challenges and work together to uphold international equity and justice, he added.

The two heads of state jointly witnessed the signing of numerous cooperation documents on Belt and Road cooperation, artificial intelligence, economic and trade cooperation, as well as industrial and supply chain cooperation.

The two sides also issued a joint statement on further deepening their comprehensive strategic partnership and signed more than 20 cooperation documents covering areas such as the digital economy, science and technology, education and transportation.

New regional security architecture

In the talks, Xi put forward a four-point proposal on building a new security architecture in the Middle East, saying China supports regional countries in developing friendly and good-neighborly relations.

To promote common security in the region, Xi said efforts should be made to promote domestic driving force for common security in the region.

People in the Middle East should remain masters of their own affairs and external interference should be rejected, Xi said, stressing that China supports regional countries in strengthening dialogue on peace and security, exploring building a new security architecture for the Middle East and taking control of their own future.

Xi said that a comprehensive approach should be taken to promote common security in the region and that, given the multiple hot spots in the Middle East and their close interconnections, comprehensive solutions should be pursued.

The Palestinian issue remains at the heart of the Middle East issue and should never be overlooked or marginalized, he added.

The foundation for common security should be strengthened through development, Xi said, stressing that lasting peace and stability in the Middle East fundamentally depends on development.

China is ready to work together with Middle Eastern countries to safeguard the security of international sea routes, promote development cooperation, promote the convergence of interests of countries in the region, gradually strengthen mutual trust and eliminate the root causes of conflict, he said.

Xi urged strengthening international coordination for common security in the region and strengthening the United Nations Charter and international law as fundamental principles for managing Middle East affairs.

The international community, especially external powers, should abandon double standards in the Middle East, respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of countries in the region, and safeguard regional peace and stability, Xi added.

He also urged support for the United Nations’ effective role in Middle East affairs.

Sisi said that Egypt highly appreciates China’s consistent, objective and impartial position on the Middle East issue, stressing that Egypt is committed to promoting the reduction of tension in the region, resolving conflicts and differences through political means, and promoting regional security and development.

Egypt stands ready to continue strengthening coordination with China to ease tensions in the Middle East, safeguard regional stability and explore a regional security architecture, Sisi said. Xinhua