The Asian dimension has always been present in Egyptian foreign policy throughout history. For centuries, Egypt’s orientation, as explained by scholar Gamal Hamdan, has been as much Asian as it has been African, due to its position as a bridge between the two continents and its cultural, religious, and strategic links, especially with the Middle East.
In modern times, Egypt’s association with the Afro-Asian solidarity movement, which gave rise to the Non-Aligned Movement, was a pillar of its foreign policy during the period of national liberation. The increasing relations between Egypt and Asian countries in the past decade illustrate a strategic flexibility and the application of the principle of strategic balance.
It is well known that East and Southeast Asian countries have played a growing role in the global economic system for decades, with more than half of the BRICS countries, of which Egypt recently joined, being Asian countries.
Undoubtedly, economic considerations and strategic imperatives are driving the strengthening of relations between the new Egyptian Republic and Asian countries. Since President Abdel Fattah Al-Sissi came to power, Egypt’s foreign policy has focused on expanding its strategic options, engaging with all countries around the world, and quickly adapting to shifting power dynamics in the international system. This has led to a series of visits to Asian countries, such as China, Singapore, Indonesia, Japan, India, Vietnam, Uzbekistan, and Kazakhstan, culminating in elevated partnerships, new investments in Egypt, and enhanced cooperation in various fields.
The intensified opening of Egyptian foreign policy to Asian countries has also led to the provision of new financing programs for Egyptian development projects, reducing pressure on the national currency through agreements allowing trade transactions in local currency, issuing bonds in the national currency of Asian countries, and exploring debt swap mechanisms for development purposes.
This chapter will briefly review the main features of Egypt’s evolving relations with some of its key Asian partners.
Egyptian-Chinese Relations
Historically, Egypt has had privileged relations with China, being the first Arab and African country to establish diplomatic relations with China in May 1956. China is currently one of Egypt’s most important strategic partners. The Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Agreement between Egypt and China, signed during President Abdel Fattah Al-Sissi’s first visit to China in December 2014, less than six months after he took office.
Over the past decade, President Abdel Fattah Al-Sissi’s regular visits to China have underscored the close and growing relations between the two countries. His most recent visit to China in May 2024 highlighted the strong partnership between Egypt and China. During this visit, he attended the opening session of the tenth ministerial meeting of the Sino-Arab Cooperation Forum as an honored guest, celebrated the tenth anniversary of the strategic partnership agreement, and announced the launch of the “Year of the Egypt-China Partnership.”
Amidst this significant momentum at the top level, several institutional frameworks for cooperation between Egypt and China have been established over the past decade, including:
- The Strategic Dialogue at the level of Foreign Ministers, launched in August 2014.
- The Joint Committee for Governmental Cooperation, created during the visit of the Chinese Minister of Foreign Affairs, Wang Yi, to Egypt in July 2021, serves as a framework for monitoring various aspects of bilateral cooperation. It is co-chaired by the Foreign Ministers of both countries and includes all relevant ministries, government agencies, and technical bodies competent in bilateral relations.
Numerous specialized diplomatic mechanisms for political consultation and coordination of foreign policies and positions in international forums have also been put in place over the last decade, including consultations at the level of Deputy Foreign Ministers, consultations on UN-related issues, consultations on African issues, consultations on counterterrorism, and others.
The past decade has witnessed a significant advancement in the level of economic cooperation between Egypt and China, both bilaterally and within the framework of China’s Belt and Road Initiative. The Chinese side welcomed Egypt’s decision to assist in combating the spread of COVID-19 at the beginning of 2020, resulting in an agreement on a joint vaccine manufacturing project, one of the most significant industrial cooperation projects between the two countries.
In terms of financial cooperation, a currency swap agreement worth 18 billion Chinese yuan was concluded in 2016, renewing in February 2023. Egyptian diplomatic efforts with China also led to Egypt becoming a founding member of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank launched by China in 2016.
In 2025, a qualitative turning point in Sino-Egyptian relations was marked by the visit of Li Qiang, Premier of the State Council of China, to the Arab Republic of Egypt. During this visit, the Minister of Planning, Economic Development, and International Cooperation, Rania Al Mashat, and the President of the China International Development Cooperation Agency (CIDCA), Chen Xiaodong, signed five new cooperation agreements that energize Sino-Egyptian strategic relations.
These agreements included the framework agreement for the first phase of debt exchange, the first between the two countries, a $214,000 grant for a feasibility study on the establishment of a center of excellence for physically disabled people in Egypt, and another grant for the implementation of a Biosafety Level 3 (BLS3) laboratory project for the Ministry of Health. Several memoranda of understanding were also concluded regarding various development areas, especially in human resources development. Under this agreement, China will provide 2,000 training slots to Egypt under bilateral and multilateral training programs between 2025 and 2027.
Similarly, in 2025, an agreement was signed for the third phase of the Light Rail Transit (LRT) project, totaling $332 million. This agreement builds on Egypt’s cooperation with China in launching the project’s first two phases and aims to develop and enhance mobility, manufacture technological assistance products, and provide services through the establishment of a center of excellence for people with reduced mobility in Egypt.
Context: This article discusses the growing and strategic relations between Egypt and Asian countries, particularly focusing on Egypt’s relations with China over the past decade. It highlights the various agreements and cooperation mechanisms established to enhance bilateral ties in economic, political, and strategic realms.
Fact Check: The article accurately summarizes the historical context, recent developments, and future outlook of Egypt’s relations with China and other Asian countries.
