# Xi Visits Egypt, Proposes Four Point Plan for a New Middle East Security Architecture > Xi Jinping made his first state visit to Egypt in nearly a decade, holding talks with President El-Sisi and proposing a four point plan for a new Middle East security architecture that keeps the Palestinian question central. The two sides signed more than 20 cooperation documents, with bilateral trade having more than doubled since 2013. - Source: Times of China (Times of China) - Canonical URL: https://timesofchina.cn.com/en/article/xi-egypt-elsisi-mideast-security-visit - Chinese edition: https://timesofchina.cn.com/article/xi-egypt-elsisi-mideast-security-visit - Author: 中国时报编辑部 - Section: World - Published: 2026-09-03T20:00:00+08:00 - Updated: 2026-09-03T20:00:00+08:00 - Tags: 习近平, 埃及, 塞西, 中东安全, 国事访问 --- President Xi Jinping held talks with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi in Cairo on Wednesday, putting forward proposals for a new Middle East security architecture built around a vision of common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security, and voicing support for countries in the region developing good neighborly relations. The visit marked Xi's first state visit to Egypt in nearly a decade and coincided with the 70th anniversary of China-Egypt diplomatic ties, with Egypt having been the first Arab and African country to establish relations with the People's Republic of China. ## A four point proposal on Middle East security During the talks, Xi laid out four points on the situation in the Middle East: fostering the internal driving force for common security in the region, advancing an integrated approach, cementing the foundation for development, and strengthening international coordination. He voiced opposition to interference by outside forces and support for countries in the region deepening dialogue on peace and security, exploring a new regional security architecture, and taking their future into their own hands, arguing that the region's many interconnected hot spots call for comprehensive solutions. He stressed that the Palestinian question remains at the core of the Middle East issue and should never be ignored or sidelined. Xi said development is fundamental to lasting peace and stability in the region, and that China is ready to work with countries there to safeguard international shipping lanes, advance development cooperation, and help align the interests of regional states in ways that gradually build trust and address the root causes of conflict. He also called for stronger international coordination on Middle East security, with the UN Charter and international law serving as the basic principles for handling regional affairs, and said the international community, particularly major powers from outside the region, should abandon double standards, respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of regional states, and support the UN in playing its proper role. El-Sisi praised China's consistently objective and impartial stance on Middle East issues, and reaffirmed Egypt's readiness to keep coordinating with regional and international partners, especially China as a permanent member of the UN Security Council and a pivotal regional player, in efforts to ease tensions, drive development and address global challenges. ## A comprehensive strategic partnership moves forward On bilateral ties, Xi said the China-Egypt comprehensive strategic partnership has made significant progress in recent years under the two leaders' joint guidance, and that amid a complicated and volatile international and regional landscape, the two sides should keep supporting each other and deepen cooperation toward building a China-Egypt community with a shared future. He called for maintaining the momentum of high level exchanges, expanding cooperation across levels and fields, and stepping up mutual learning on governance. On the economic front, he urged closer alignment of development strategies and deeper cooperation in traditional areas such as infrastructure, electricity, agriculture and communications technology, alongside new growth areas including green energy, electric vehicles, aerospace, the digital economy and modern agricultural technology. Egypt was among the earliest countries to join Belt and Road cooperation, and China has been its largest trading partner and source of imports for 14 straight years, with bilateral trade growing from 10.21 billion US dollars in 2013 to 20.79 billion dollars in 2025. Khaled Nazmy, Egypt's ambassador to China, said more than 2,800 Chinese companies are now operating in Egypt, involved in major projects spanning infrastructure, new and renewable energy, transportation, economic zones, telecommunications, textiles, aerospace and advanced technology. Xi also called for broader people to people exchanges in culture, education, science and technology, healthcare and sports, along with greater personnel exchanges to deepen mutual understanding between the two peoples, as well as closer security cooperation to jointly fight transnational crime, strengthen anti corruption cooperation, and firmly support each other's counterterrorism efforts. On multilateral affairs, he called for closer coordination through the UN, BRICS and other platforms, joint efforts to advance the China-Arab States Cooperation Forum and the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, and a shared stand against unilateralism and bullying in favor of a fairer global governance system. El-Sisi reaffirmed Egypt's firm commitment to the one China principle, praised what he called a tangible leap in bilateral relations, and said there is clear political will on both sides to expand cooperation further, particularly in industrial localization and technology transfer. Following the talks, the two leaders witnessed the signing of cooperation documents covering Belt and Road collaboration, artificial intelligence, trade and economic cooperation, and industrial and supply chains, and the two sides issued a joint statement on further deepening their comprehensive strategic partnership. More than 20 cooperation documents in total were signed during the visit, spanning the digital economy, science and technology, education and transportation. --- Originally published by Times of China. Free to cite with attribution and a link to https://timesofchina.cn.com/en/article/xi-egypt-elsisi-mideast-security-visit.