70 years on, China-Egypt ties deepen through trade, investment and cultural exchanges

China and Egypt are celebrating the 70th anniversary of diplomatic relations this year, with bilateral ties deepening across an increasingly broad range of areas. Trade and investment remain important pillars, while cooperation is gaining momentum in digital technology, green energy and cultural exchanges.

Egypt was the first Arab and African country to establish diplomatic relations with China. The two countries upgraded their relationship to a comprehensive strategic partnership in late 2014, and bilateral ties have deepened across multiple fields under the Belt and Road Initiative.

As a key project under China-Egypt Belt and Road cooperation, the Central Business District in Egypt's New Administrative Capital, east of Cairo, was built by a Chinese company. The project includes a 385.8-meter skyscraper, which is set to become the tallest building in Africa.

The 70-year relationship is increasingly reflected not only in the volume of goods traded between the two countries, but also in the industries being developed, technologies being introduced and exchanges taking place on the ground.

Zero tariffs open the Chinese market to more Egyptian goods

Official data shows that China has been Egypt's largest trading partner for 14 consecutive years, with bilateral trade reaching a record $20.79 billion in 2025. Egypt's imports from China are concentrated in engineering equipment, textiles and building materials, while its exports to China are mainly agricultural and food products.

Five products – frozen strawberries, beet pulp, raw flax, natural pigments and natural calcium phosphate – accounted for 46.1% of Egypt's exports to China.

The trade figures have strengthened further this year. Since May 1, China has applied zero tariffs to products from 53 African countries that have diplomatic relations with China, including Egypt.

Egypt's exports to China rose 199.8% year on year to $840.8 million in the first half of 2026, up from $280.5 million in the same period last year, according to Egypt's Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics (CAPMAS).

The policy is also changing how some Egyptian companies approach the Chinese market.

At an "Export to China" event in Cairo on August 17, Chinese and Egyptian companies signed trade agreements worth nearly $170 million. More than 10 Chinese companies, including CITIC Group, China General Technology Group and Poly Group, held talks with Egyptian businesses.

Ma Guanghui, executive vice president of the Egyptian Chinese General Chamber of Commerce Association, said Egyptian businesses are paying greater attention to Chinese market requirements.

A flax factory with a total investment of $58 million in Sadat City, which produces about 3,800 tonnes of flax yarn a year, previously supplied only the European Union market. It is now pursuing Oeko-Tex certification and preparing to enter China's high-end home-textile market, with its profit margin expected to increase by 8 to 10 percentage points, Ma said.

Chinese investment expands Egypt's industrial capacity

As global supply chains shift and trade protectionism rises, Egypt's position at the crossroads of Africa, Asia and Europe is taking on new significance. For Chinese companies, investment in Egypt is creating opportunities to expand manufacturing while contributing to the country's industrial development and connecting both sides to broader regional markets.

The China-Egypt TEDA Suez Economic and Trade Cooperation Zone began construction in 2008. By the end of June 2026, more than 200 companies had established operations in the zone, attracting over $4.7 billion in investment and generating more than $7.3 billion in cumulative sales, Cao Hui, executive director of Egypt-TEDA Special Economic Zone Development Co., said.

Its development has helped strengthen Egypt's industrial base, with Chinese companies becoming increasingly integrated into the local economy. Jushi Egypt, a subsidiary of China Jushi, began operations in the zone in 2012 and now runs Africa's largest fiberglass production base.

By the end of 2025, Chinese companies had invested more than $1.5 billion in Egypt's photovoltaic industry. Elite Solar opened a 5GW solar manufacturing complex in Egypt early this year.

As Egypt's industrial base expands into higher-value sectors, China-Egypt cooperation is also moving into emerging technology sectors.

In Sohag, a city in southern Egypt, the China-Egypt Belt and Road Joint Laboratory for Renewable Energy has produced Egypt's first locally manufactured high-efficiency half-cell solar module, helping strengthen the country's capabilities in photovoltaic technology and local manufacturing.

Digital infrastructure is another area of growing cooperation. An Egyptian government data and cloud computing center using Chinese technology was completed in April 2024, and Egypt's first public cloud node began operating the following month. More than 200 companies now use the platform.

Exchanges deepen between two ancient civilizations

The relationship also extends into education and archaeology. Chinese is now part of Egypt's national education system, with 30 universities offering Chinese departments or courses and more than 20 secondary schools offering Chinese as an elective.

In 2018, Chinese and Egyptian researchers launched a joint archaeological project at the Temple of Montu in Luxor, bringing the two countries together to study one of the world's oldest civilizations and share expertise in archaeology.