XI JINPING MEETS EGYPTIAN PRESIDENT: THE TWO COUNTRIES MUST FIRMLY SUPPORT EACH OTHER

BEIJING, SEPTEMBER 3 /SRNA/ - Chinese President Xi Jinping said during talks with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi in Cairo this morning that the two countries must firmly support each other in light of the complex international and regional situation, and that China advocates building a new security architecture in the Middle East.

Following the official welcome ceremony, Xi said that China and Egypt must first and foremost firmly support each other, maintain the momentum of high-level exchanges, step up exchanges and cooperation in various fields and at different levels, and promote the sharing of governance experience and mutual learning.

It is necessary to promote mutually beneficial cooperation, step up the alignment of development strategies, unlock the potential for cooperation in traditional areas such as infrastructure development, energy, agriculture and communications technology, and create new areas of growth in cooperation in green energy, electric vehicles, aviation, the digital economy and modern agricultural technology, the China Media Group reported.

Xi said that the two countries need to step up cultural exchanges, comprehensively expand cooperation in culture, education, science and technology, healthcare, sports and other fields, increase people-to-people exchanges and strengthen ties between their peoples.

He believes that China and Egypt should step up security cooperation, jointly combat transnational crime, deepen international cooperation in the fight against corruption, firmly support counter-terrorism efforts and safeguard the security of both countries.

"They should strengthen international multilateral cooperation, further enhance coordination and cooperation on multilateral platforms such as the UN and BRICS, jointly advance the development of mechanisms such as the China-Arab States Cooperation Forum and the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, jointly oppose unilateralism and bullying, and promote the development of a fairer and more reasonable global governance system," Xi stressed.

Faced with a complex international and regional situation, the Chinese president stressed that the two countries should support each other and deepen cooperation to advance the building of a China-Egypt community with a shared future.

Xi reminded that Egypt was the first Arab and African country to establish diplomatic relations with the New China in 1956, and that the two countries had developed a deep friendship.

He added that the older generation of leaders of the two countries had led their peoples in a joint struggle for national independence against imperialism and colonialism.

He also noted that over the past 70 years, China and Egypt had witnessed "equal mutual trust, friendly mutual learning and mutually beneficial cooperation".

"Under our leadership, the China-Egypt comprehensive strategic partnership has developed by leaps and bounds. The two sides share similar ideas and strategies in pursuing development and prosperity, improving people's well-being and upholding international justice," Xi said.

Abdel Fattah el-Sisi warmly welcomed Xi Jinping on his historic state visit to Egypt at a time when the two countries are celebrating the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations.

He noted that relations between Egypt and China had maintained healthy and stable development over the past 70 years, with fruitful results achieved through cooperation in various fields.

He stressed that Egypt firmly adheres to the one-China principle and is committed to further advancing the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries.

"Egypt is ready to work closely with China in trade and investment, manufacturing, infrastructure development, finance, technology and new energy, strengthen military and security exchanges, and facilitate people-to-people exchanges, so that the results of bilateral cooperation can better benefit the peoples of both countries and contribute to regional development and prosperity," the Egyptian president said.

He praised China's important and constructive role in international affairs as a permanent member of the UN Security Council, stressing that Egypt is ready to strengthen coordination and cooperation with China on multilateral platforms to jointly address global challenges and uphold international fairness and justice.

The two leaders exchanged views on the situation in the Middle East.

Xi Jinping stressed that China supports the countries of the region in developing good-neighbourly and friendly relations and advocates building a new security architecture in the Middle East based on the concept of common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security.

In this regard, Xi put forward four proposals, the first of which is to promote the internal drivers of regional common security. He said it is necessary to oppose interference by external forces, support the countries of the region in strengthening dialogue on peace and security, and explore restructuring the regional security architecture.

The second proposal is to improve comprehensive governance of the region's common security, as the situation in the Middle East is complex and requires comprehensive solutions, while the Palestinian issue remains at the heart of the Middle East problem.

The third proposal is to consolidate the development foundations for the region's common security, as achieving lasting peace and stability in the Middle East fundamentally depends on development.

China is ready to work with all countries in the region to safeguard the security of international shipping routes, promote development cooperation, integrate the interests of countries in the region, and gradually strengthen mutual trust.

The fourth proposal is to strengthen international coordination for the common security of the region, noting that the UN Charter and international law should serve as the fundamental guidelines for resolving issues in the Middle East.

It was explained that the international community, particularly major powers outside the region, must reject double standards, respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the countries in the region, and uphold regional security and stability. It is also necessary to support the UN in fulfilling its effective role in regional affairs.

During the meeting, Abdel Fattah el-Sisi said that Egypt highly appreciates China's objective and fair position on the Middle East, and is committed to reducing tensions in the region, resolving conflicts through political means, and achieving regional security and development.

Egypt is ready, he added, to continue strengthening coordination with China to ease tensions in the Middle East, safeguard stability and explore a regional security framework.

Following the talks, the two leaders attended the signing of several cooperation documents covering areas such as the joint development of the Belt and Road Initiative, artificial intelligence, economic and trade cooperation, and cooperation in industrial and supply chains.

The two sides issued a Joint Statement of the People's Republic of China and the Arab Republic of Egypt on Further Deepening the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.

During the visit, more than 20 cooperation documents covering areas such as the digital economy, science and technology, education, transport, and others were signed.