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Egyptian President Abdul Fattah al-Sisi To Visit China on Dec. 23
12 December 2014
EIRNS—Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi will begin a two-day official visit to China on Dec. 23, where he will meet with President Xi Jinping and other officials to discuss expanding political and economic ties, Egypt’s State Information Service reported. A Chinese Presidential envoy who was in Cairo last month said that the establishment of a "comprehensive strategic partnership" will be announced during al-Sisi’s visit. In September, the Egyptian government announced the formation of a new Cabinet Committee entrusted with increasing Chinese investments in Egypt, and participation in Egypt’s new development projects. There is already a high-level Egyptian ministerial delegation in China completing a four-day stay to hammer out the details of the Presidential visit. The delegation has already solidified major deals. At a Beijing dinner hosted by Egyptian Ambassador to China Magdi Amer, Egyptian Trade and Industry Minister Munir Fakhri Abdel-Nour said that ties binding Egypt and China are "deeply-rooted. The delegation’s visit conveys a message," said Abdel-Nour, "Egypt’s doors open to all, and to China in particular," noting, "Egypt is the gate to Africa." On Dec. 9 the Egyptian Embassy held a seminar where it presented investment opportunities for Chinese companies in the fields of housing, transportation, communication and information technology, agriculture, health, and electricity. Egyptian Minister of Transportation Hany Dahy, a member of the delegation in Beijing, announced the signing of an initial agreement with the Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC) to construct the first electric traction railway system in Egypt. The project, which is worth $1.5 billion, involves building a two-way railway connecting the cities of El-Salam, Obour, New Heliopolis, Shorouk, 10th of Ramadan, and New Cairo. The Chinese will fully finance the project, with a 20 year repayment period. |
