Xi Jinping and al-Sisi: more than just friends

Chinese flags are currently flying in the streets of Cairo, whilst Chinese leader Xi Jinping is in Egypt on his first visit to the country in ten years. It is a historic visit, as it coincides with the 70th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Beijing and the first Arab and African country to have recognised the People’s Republic. But above all because it illustrates one of the priorities of China’s strategy: to increase its influence in places where trade, infrastructure and security intersect, such as Egypt, where Beijing’s presence is already evident. Chinese state-owned enterprises have built the new financial district of the New Administrative Capital, and in the Suez Canal economic zone, Sino-Egyptian cooperation has attracted over two hundred Chinese companies. This model has now been tried and tested by Beijing, particularly in Africa, where infrastructure, financing, manufacturing and logistics intertwine to create an economic presence that is difficult to separate from its strategic one.

It is noteworthy that the day before yesterday, at the very same time Xi was arriving in Cairo, a direct and sensitive accusation came from Washington. Two officials from the Trump administration told Reuters that Cosco, the Chinese state-owned shipping giant, uses hidden equipment on its ships to gather information on military communications along the coasts of target countries, including the United States. According to the officials, the programme would allow Beijing to monitor maritime routes and corridors crucial to trade and military navigation. This accusation comes as Xi visits a country which, due to its location, is one of the most important hubs in China’s trade network. Al-Sisi and Xi Jinping have much in common and, above all, are no longer merely commercial partners but also strategic ones: from Suez to telecommunications, from satellites to artificial intelligence, the Chinese presence is just waiting to expand.