Xi outlines Middle East vision

By XING ZHIGANG in Cairo and ZHANG YUNBI in Beijing (China Daily) Updated: 2016-01-22 03:32

Xi and his Egyptian counterpart Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi also jointly unveiled the nameplate for the second phase of the China-Egypt Suez Economic and Trade Cooperation Zone.

The zone has attracted many Chinese manufacturers by offering preferential policies.

Making the second stop on his three-nation Middle East visit, Xi arrived in Cairo on Wednesday amid rising calls from observers for Egypt’s thirst for infrastructure and connectivity development to be better addressed.

Sisi greeted Xi with a welcoming ceremony that included a 21cannon salute before their official talks on Thursday morning.

Other pacts were signed in fields that included electricity, infrastructure, trade, energy, finance, aviation and culture.

Xi suggested that the two countries focus on cooperation in infrastructure construction and production capacity and turn Egypt into a hub under the Belt and Road Initiative.

Xi said China is ready to take part in building major Egyptian projects such as the Suez Canal Corridor—a new channel parallel to the current canal—and the new administrative capital city.

Sisi thanked Xi for inviting him as a guest nation leader to attend the G20 summit in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, in September.

The Egyptian leader said Cairo is ready to link its own development planning to the Belt and Road Initiative and boost infrastructure cooperation within the framework of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank.

An Huihou, a former Chinese ambassador to Egypt, said, “The top priority for the Egyptian administration is to develop its economy, expand employment and reinvigorate people’s livelihoods.”

An added, “The Egyptian economy has maintained growing momentum despite a number of difficulties”. Annual GDP growth of 4.5 percent was reported last year.

Li Guofu, a researcher of Middle East studies at the China Institute of International Studies, said that Egypt “has offered protocols of a very high level” in greeting Xi, who had been accompanied by Sisi to many events during his visit.