Xi Jinping seeks to boost Egypt influence with rare overseas trip
A flurry of business deals was announced to coincide with the visit of Xi Jinping as China seeks to deepen Cairo ties.
Chinese President Xi Jinping undertook a rare overseas visit to Egypt, aiming to strengthen China's ties in Africa and the Global South amid a perceived waning of US influence in the region. The Egyptian trip included the announcement of numerous Chinese investments. ZC Rubber, a Chinese tyre manufacturer, announced a $500 million plan to build a manufacturing complex in Sokhna, a Gulf of Suez port town.
Additionally, China and Egypt agreed to expand the Tianjin Economic-Technological Development Area (TEDA), a Chinese-run industrial park set to benefit major Chinese firms like Jushi and Midea. TEDA has attracted over $4.7 billion in investment and generated sales of more than $7.3 billion. The visit also saw China and Egypt signing two financing agreements worth $665 million each for light-rail network extensions in Cairo.
These projects are part of China's strategic push to expand its influence in Africa, a region where the US has pursued a more transactional approach. Xi's extensive foreign travels since the pandemic, including stops in Kyrgyzstan, India, and Washington DC, underscore China's growing strategic opportunities. For Xi, the sequence of visits to Eurasia, the Middle East, and Africa is a deliberate strategy to position China as a more attractive partner for global governance and economic cooperation.
Written by urgent.news from Africa Business's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
