Xi urges Mideast to reject foreign meddling during Egypt visit

Foster Wong, Bloomberg News on Sep 2, 2026

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Chinese President Xi Jinping said Middle Eastern nations should reject external interference, as he met with his Egyptian counterpart Abdel Fattah El-Sisi in Cairo.

The Chinese leader’s support for national autonomy was outlined in a four-point initiative to strengthen regional security that included a call for major powers outside the region to “abandon double standards,” according to a readout from the official Xinhua News Agency on Wednesday.

Xi also said the United Nations should play a greater role in regional affairs, and that Beijing is willing to work with countries in the area to safeguard international shipping lanes and promote development. On Palestine, he said the issue remains at the core of problems in the Middle East and “should never be ignored or marginalized.”

Sisi announced an agreement to launch the third phase of an expansion of the China-Egypt industrial zone in the Suez Canal Economic Zone, covering sectors including renewable energy, automotive manufacturing, textiles, and chemical fibers, according to the Egyptian presidency.

China and Egypt agreed to deepen cooperation in areas including green energy, electric vehicles, aerospace and the digital economy, according to Xinhua. Xi and Sisi also witnessed the signing of agreements covering the Belt and Road Initiative, artificial intelligence, and trade and supply chains. More than 20 cooperation documents were signed in total, Xinhua said.

Xi is making his first visit to the Middle East’s most populous nation in a decade, as Beijing seeks to deepen economic alliances in the region.

The country has played a key role in some of Egypt’s major infrastructure projects. While Cairo has sought to maintain close relationships with both Beijing and Washington, China is a major trading partner, with bilateral commerce growing substantially since Xi’s previous visit in 2016.

—With assistance from Michael Gunn.