China’s Xi urges new Middle East security framework during rare Egypt visit

What the report says

Chinese President Xi Jinping used a rare visit to Cairo on Wednesday to urge Middle Eastern countries to resist outside interference and think about a new regional security framework. He raised the issue in talks with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, according to Al Jazeera’s report, as Beijing tries to deepen its role in the region amid the ongoing US-Israel war with Iran.

The two leaders discussed the conflict and called for diplomatic solutions and a comprehensive agreement to end the fighting, according to statements cited by the report. Xi said regional states should handle their own affairs and strengthen dialogue on peace and security. The meeting took place at Egypt’s Ittihadiya presidential palace, where Xi was received with a 21-gun salute.

The visit also produced economic agreements. Egypt said the countries agreed to begin the third phase of the Egyptian-Chinese industrial zone at the Suez Canal, a strategic trade corridor that already hosts about 200 companies and roughly $4bn in investment. Additional deals were signed, though Egyptian officials did not detail them.

The report says the diplomacy reflects broader shifts in the Middle East, where countries are reassessing security ties after regional conflicts disrupted shipping and raised doubts about reliance on the US for protection. Egypt, a longtime US military aid recipient, has been trying to balance partnerships, while China seeks a larger foothold through trade, infrastructure and security rhetoric.