(Photo Egyptian Defence Ministry Handout)
Egyptian Defence Minister Sedki Sobhi met with his Chinese counterpart, Chang Wanquan, Tuesday during an official visit to China intended to strengthen Egyptian-Chinese military cooperation, according to a military spokesperson’s statement.
The Defence Ministers held talks discussing developments in the region and methods of cooperation in the fields of defence, transportation as well as enhancing the exchange of military expertise and training.
Sobhi stressed the importance of Egypt’s friendly relations with China and expressed the hope for further strengthening military cooperation in an attempt to “safeguard regional and international peace”.
Correspondingly, an army delegation led by Sobhi visited the Russian capital Moscow in early March to hold talks with high Russian army officials, aiming at fostering military cooperation.
The statement added that the visit comes in light of strategic Egyptian-Chinese relations following Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi’s visit to China in December. Al-Sisi signed a comprehensive strategic partnership agreement with his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping. The partnership agreement included three cooperation agreements in the fields of economy and technical cooperation.
During the visit, the Chinese president expressed his country’s interest to invest in Egypt and encouraged trade between both countries, noting Egypt’s efforts at improving the investment climate.
In August 2012, former President Mohamed Morsi met with his Chinese counterpart and signed seven cooperation agreements for major projects. These were aimed at boosting Chinese investments, including industrial and technological development projects, in Egypt.
