China, Egypt sign cooperation deals, discuss Gaza
China and Egypt on Wednesday signed agreements deepening their cooperation during President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi's visit to Beijing. President Xi Jinping and his Egyptian counterpart witnessed the signing in a ceremony that coincided with the 10th anniversary of the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries. China and Egypt discussed bilateral relations and bringing stability to the Middle East in light of the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza, according to a statement released by the Egyptian presidency. "The current round of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict has caused a large number of innocent Palestinian civilian casualties and the humanitarian situation in Gaza is extremely severe. China is deeply pained," Xi told el-Sisi, according to state media. "The top priority task now is an immediate ceasefire, in order to avoid spillover of conflict, impact on regional peace and stability, and so as to prevent a more serious humanitarian crisis." Xi added that China is ready to work with Egypt to continue to assist the people of Gaza "and push for an early, comprehensive, just and lasting settlement of the Palestinian issue". Egypt, along with Qatar and the United States, have been engaged for months in talks aimed at securing a lasting truce between Israel and Hamas. The agreements signed between Beijing and Cairo on Wednesday include collaboration in the Belt and Road Initiative. China has invested billions of dollars in Egyptian state projects, including the Suez Canal Economic Zone and the new administrative capital east of Cairo. Investments between the two countries amounted to around US$14 billion in 2023, compared to US$16.6 billion in 2022, according to the latest data released by Egypt’s statistics agency. China is hosting el-Sisi and several other Arab leaders in Beijing this week, with talks aimed at deepening consensus between Beijing and the Arab countries. (Agencies)