Ambassador Liao Liqiang's signed article called the TEDA Cooperation Zone a 'flagship project for jointly building the 'Belt and Road'.

Source | Chinese Embassy in Egypt Official Account

Original Title | Ambassador Liao Liqiang Publishes Signed Article "Thriving China-Egypt Relations" in Egyptian Media

On July 8, Ambassador to Egypt and Plenipotentiary Representative to the Arab League, Liao Liqiang, published a signed article on the Egyptian "Rose al-Yusuf" website. The full text is as follows:

Thriving China-Egypt Relations – Written Before Premier Li Qiang's Visit to Egypt

At the invitation of Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly, Chinese Premier Li Qiang will pay an official visit to Egypt from July 9 to 10. This is Premier Li Qiang's first visit to Egypt, and the Egyptian side has expressed a warm welcome and will provide a high-level reception. This high-level exchange between the two sides is an important diplomatic action to implement the strategic consensus reached by President Xi Jinping and President Sisi, and it will surely add strong impetus to the development of China-Egypt comprehensive strategic partnership. I would like to take this opportunity to respond to the concerns of Egyptian friends and introduce the currently thriving China-Egypt relations.

China and Egypt are fellow travelers advancing side by side. President Xi Jinping and President Sisi share a deep friendship and jointly guide the development of China-Egypt relations. The two heads of state met twice last year and agreed to elevate the level of bilateral relations towards the goal of building a community with a shared future in the new era. This year, they also jointly attended Russia's celebration of the 80th anniversary of the victory of the Great Patriotic War. Both sides support each other on issues concerning their respective core and fundamental interests; Egypt adheres to the One-China principle, and China firmly supports Egypt in safeguarding its national sovereignty and security. The two countries continue to engage in high-level exchanges, strengthen communication and cooperation at various departments and levels, including government, legislative bodies, and political parties, and political mutual trust is deepening day by day.

China and Egypt are good partners for mutual benefit and win-win outcomes. China is Egypt's largest trading partner and source of imports, and also one of the most active countries in investing in Egypt. As a landmark project for the high-quality joint construction of the "Belt and Road" between the two countries, the construction of the China-Egypt TEDA Suez Economic and Trade Cooperation Zone has directly driven local economic growth and created a large number of employment opportunities. Recently, Chinese enterprises have continued to actively invest and establish businesses in Egypt, carrying out cooperation in fields such as new building materials, textiles, new energy, and white goods, helping Egypt transform its geographical advantages into strong economic development momentum. China has also engaged in a series of innovative financial collaborations with Egypt to help Egypt achieve sustainable development. The global opportunities presented by Chinese modernization have brought tangible benefits to the Egyptian people.

China and Egypt are good friends who are growing closer. Egypt was one of the first Arab and African countries to establish diplomatic relations with New China, and the traditional friendship between China and Egypt has grown stronger over time. Last year was the "China-Egypt Partnership Year," during which the two countries held a variety of cultural and people-to-people activities, and "China cultural fever" continued to rise in Egypt. Bilateral personnel exchanges are becoming increasingly frequent, and the increase in direct flights has made the vast distances no longer an obstacle. The grand exhibition of ancient Egyptian artifacts attracted countless fans in China, Chinese aircraft performance teams drew brilliant trajectories over the pyramids, and the China-Egypt joint archaeological team unveiled the veil of an ancient Egyptian capital temple. These vivid examples of civilizational exchange are widely talked about and appreciated by the people of both countries.

China and Egypt are good brothers with shared aspirations. China-Egypt relations are a vivid portrayal of a new type of international relations, possessing strategic significance that transcends bilateral scope. The two countries coordinate closely at the United Nations and promote cooperation and solidarity among Global South countries in various multilateral forums such as China-Arab States, China-Africa, BRICS, and SCO. Both sides are committed to the political resolution of international and regional hot issues like the Palestinian-Israeli conflict and the Ukraine crisis, injecting valuable stability into a turbulent global situation. China firmly supports the Gaza recovery and reconstruction plan jointly initiated by Egypt and Arab countries, and supports Egypt's recent leadership in issuing a joint ministerial statement with 20 Arab and Islamic countries, jointly calling for a ceasefire, resumption of Iran nuclear talks, and maintenance of lasting regional peace.

As China's Plenipotentiary Representative to the Arab League, I also want to point out that current China-Arab relations are also at their historical best. Both sides have unanimously agreed to fully build a China-Arab community with a shared future for the new era and are comprehensively implementing the "Eight Major Common Actions" and "Five Major Cooperation Frameworks" proposed by President Xi Jinping. In 2024, China-Arab trade volume exceeded 400 billion US dollars, and the joint construction of the "Belt and Road" Initiative achieved full coverage in 22 Arab countries, benefiting nearly 2 billion people from both sides.

Next year marks the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Egypt, and the eagerly anticipated Second China-Arab States Summit will be held in China. China-Egypt and China-Arab relations are standing at a new starting point. We expect that through Premier Li Qiang's visit, we will promote traditional friendship, deepen mutually beneficial cooperation, and continuously advance China-Egypt relations towards the goal of building a community with a shared future for the new era, and construct a higher-level China-Arab community with a shared future.

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