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EXPERT COMMENT

Despite huge economic cooperation and unrestrained reciprocal praise, Egypt and China’s relationship is more complex and unilateral than either would admit.

When Cairo dispatched its minister of health Hala Zayed along with some medical equipment to Beijing to express solidarity with China in its battle with COVID-19 back in March 2020, the Egyptian government was beaming with pride – both publicly and privately – having found an opportunity to show support to the country that ‘has been our ally and generous friend through the years, and stood by us in international forums’, in the words of one senior official.

Egypt was the first Arab and African country to establish direct diplomatic relations with the China in 1956 and, just weeks later, Beijing gave its first-ever foreign grant offering $4.5 million to Egypt during the Suez Crisis – a minute amount as far as international aid goes, but one full of symbolism.

In the ensuing decades, the relationship endured and remained positive, growing under Mubarak and skyrocketing under President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi who was more than a little wary of Egypt's Western partners due to their pro-democratic positions, and was seeking to diversify the palette of Egypt's alliances.

Click here to continue reading the full version of this Expert Comment on the Chatham House website.