China’s Xi visits Egypt’s el-Sisi: Why it matters

Chinese President Xi Jinping is visiting Egypt for the first time in a decade, as Cairo looks to foster deeper economic and military ties with Beijing while maintaining its long-standing relationship with Washington.The visit comes as the US-Israel war on Iran and resulting disruption to global trade have prompted US allies in the region to reassess their strategic relationships. Most recently, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkiye announced the Mecca Joint Deterrence Agreement, a mutual defence pact.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3China’s Xi makes first visit to Egypt in a decade, amid regional turmoillist 2 of 3China’s Xi makes his first visit to Egypt in a decadelist 3 of 3Xi, Modi and Putin attend SCO summit: What’s on the agenda?end of listSeeking closer ties with Beijing, therefore, is part of an effort to further what President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi has called Cairo’s “independent foreign policy”.For China, Egypt offers an important foothold in the Middle East with its large economy, control of the Suez Canal and diplomatic influence across the Arab world and Africa.Here is what you need to know:What is the visit about?Xi’s three-day visit, which began on Tuesday e...