Xi to visit Egypt as China deepens military, tech ties

CAIRO, Egypt (MNTV) — Chinese President Xi Jinping is set to visit Egypt next week, his first trip to the country in a decade, as Beijing and Cairo deepen cooperation in defense, technology, trade and industry.

The visit will follow recent joint Chinese-Egyptian military exercises and comes as Chinese technology giant Huawei seeks to supply more than 2,000 advanced artificial intelligence chips for Egyptian government data centers, a move that has drawn attention in Washington.

China’s Foreign Ministry said Wednesday that Xi will visit Egypt from Aug. 30 to Sept. 3 at the invitation of Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi. 

The trip will also include a stop in Kyrgyzstan, where Xi is scheduled to attend a Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit in the capital Bishkek on Sept. 1.

During his stay in Egypt, Xi is expected to hold talks with Sisi on bilateral relations and international issues. Senior officials from the two BRICS members are also expected to participate in discussions.

The visit comes as Huawei has submitted a proposal to provide 1,408 high-end Ascend 950-series processors for artificial intelligence training and cloud computing, according to Bloomberg, citing documents and people familiar with the matter.

Huawei has separately offered another 600 chips, either the Ascend 950 or the older 910B model, for two computing clusters designed to run AI systems after training.

The proposed deal has reportedly attracted US attention, with the State Department contacting major American technology companies, including Nvidia, AMD and Microsoft, about potentially developing a competing offer.

Xi’s visit will be his first to Egypt since 2016 and coincides with the 70th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Beijing and Cairo. Egypt became the first Arab and African country to establish diplomatic relations with the People’s Republic of China in 1956.

Economic relations have expanded significantly in recent years. Bilateral trade increased from $17.38 billion in 2024 to $20.8 billion last year, although the balance remains heavily in China’s favor.

Chinese exports accounted for almost $19.9 billion of last year’s trade, while Egyptian exports to China were valued at about $819 million.

China has also expanded its industrial presence in Egypt, particularly around the Suez Canal Economic Zone. The China-Egypt TEDA Suez Economic and Trade Cooperation Zone in Ain Sokhna, developed under Beijing’s Belt and Road Initiative, now hosts more than 200 companies, most backed by Chinese investment.

Defense cooperation has likewise become an increasingly important part of the relationship. Egypt and China regularly conduct joint military exercises, including the Eagles of Civilization 2026 air drills launched on Aug. 22.

The latest exercises involved training in aerial combat planning and management and underscored the growing military relationship between the two countries.

Huawei’s proposed chip supply further highlights Egypt’s emerging importance in the competition between China and the United States over advanced artificial intelligence technology.

A successful deal could strengthen Huawei’s position in one of Africa’s largest economies and provide Beijing with a potential base for expanding its AI technology presence across the wider Middle East and African markets.