On August 3, 2026, in the conference hall of the Egyptian Prime Minister's Office in Cairo, Prime Minister Mustafa Madbury presided over the third meeting of the China Affairs Ministerial Committee, attended by several ministers and senior officials. Madbury officially announced at the meeting that China's investment stock in Egypt has exceeded 10 billion US dollars. Behind this number is the deep cultivation and layout of about 200 Chinese enterprises in this ancient civilization. From the Teda Cooperation Zone on the Red Sea coast to modern chemical plants along the Suez Canal, China Egypt economic and trade cooperation is moving from quantitative accumulation to qualitative leap. Madbury stated that this number reflects the growing confidence of the Chinese business community in Egypt's investment environment.

Panorama of the 14th Major Cooperation Areas

This meeting reviewed the progress of the comprehensive strategic partnership between Egypt and China, covering 14 major areas including industrial development, seawater desalination, localization of advanced technologies, communication, transportation, mining, clean energy, chemical industry, engineering industry, agriculture, and expanding agricultural product exports. The Chinese ambassador to Egypt said earlier that the initiative of jointly building the the Belt and Road is highly consistent with Egypt's 2030 vision, and the two sides are highly consistent in development concepts. The Egyptian Foreign Minister also expressed that Egypt is willing to become China's gateway to Africa and looks forward to deepening practical cooperation in fields such as electric vehicles, solar energy, and industrial parks, taking the 70th anniversary of diplomatic relations as an opportunity. The cooperation in these key tracks aims to solidify the economic foundation of the two countries through technology transfer and sustained investment.

The industrial matrix behind billions of dollars

The breakthrough of 10 billion US dollars in investment stock is the most crucial milestone in China Egypt cooperation in recent years. Since its construction began in 2008, the TEDA Cooperation Zone has attracted about 200 domestic and foreign enterprises to settle in, with an actual investment of over 3.8 billion US dollars and cumulative sales exceeding 6.6 billion US dollars. In January 2026, Madebuli inspected the TEDA Cooperation Zone for the eighth time and witnessed the signing and production of multiple Chinese funded projects in the fields of new energy, textiles, home appliances, etc., with a total investment of over 1.9 billion US dollars. Sailun Group signed a contract in July 2026 to invest 1 billion US dollars to build a tire factory, and Zhongfu Industrial is negotiating to invest 2 billion US dollars to build an aluminum production complex. Leading enterprises such as China Jushi, Xidian International, and Midea have gathered here. The trade volume between China and Egypt has increased from 10.2 billion US dollars in 2013 to 20.8 billion US dollars in 2025. Keywords: the Belt and Road news, international cooperation, industry, transportation, communication

Double springboard and three major opportunities for going global

The Egyptian market is transforming from a trade window to a regional manufacturing base, relying on the Teda Cooperation Zone and the Suez Canal Economic Zone, and the Chinese manufacturing industry cluster continues to take shape. The localization of advanced technology is listed as an independent cooperation sector, and Egypt hopes to establish Chinese technology, standards, and manufacturing capabilities in Egypt. Egypt has signed tax preferential agreements with the European Union, Arab countries, and multiple African countries, and expanding production capacity in Egypt means gaining access to the three major markets of Africa, Europe, and the Middle East simultaneously. The Egyptian Foreign Minister has repeatedly expressed his willingness to become China's gateway to Africa. Analysts believe that the continuous increase in political power and the intensive implementation of industries are mutually reinforcing, pushing the comprehensive strategic partnership between China and Egypt to a new height.Editor/Gao Xue