Egypt and China Deepen Ties to Advance Socio-Economic Growth

Key Highlight

• Egypt and China Signed three strategic MoUs to foster socio-economic, technological developments and deepen ties.

During Egypt’s Minister of Planning and International Cooperation, Rania Al-Mashat, recent trip to Beijing for the second Conference of the Forum on Global Action for Shared Development, the Minister signed three memoranda of understanding (MoUs) with Chinese officials. The three MoUs will enhance collaboration in multiple sectors and deepen the relationship between Egypt and China.

Strengthening Egyptian-Chinese Ties Through Strategic MoUs

The first MoU focuses on knowledge sharing and collaboration in areas of mutual interest, and Egypt’s Minister of Planning and International Cooperation, Rania Al-Mashat, signed it with the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC). Moreso, the focus areas include macroeconomics, industrial development, renewable energy, technological innovation, and sustainable development. This agreement paves the way for workshops, seminars, and training programmes that will leverage China’s expertise to bolster Egypt’s development initiatives to advance socio-economic development.

The second MoU, signed with the NDRC, focuses on implementing China’s BeiDou Navigation Satellite System (BDS) in Egypt.  In addition, the BDS, which has the potential to significantly advance economic and social development, is expected to improve living standards and bring about positive changes.  In addition, the third MoU, signed with the China International Development Cooperation Agency (CIDCA), aims to establish a centre of excellence for people with disabilities in Egypt.

Minister Al-Mashat highlighted the significance of the agreements and their role in expanding the scope of Egyptian-Chinese relationships. These MoUs emphasise investments in human capital, scientific research exchange, and development cooperation. Moreover, the MoUs build on the momentum established in 2023, when Egypt became the first country to sign a debt-for-development swap agreement with the China International Development Cooperation Agency (CIDCA) in October. This milestone further strengthened the economic and developmental partnership between the two nations.

Furthermore, during the first edition of the forum in 2023, Egypt and CIDCA signed a separate MoU under the “Global Development Initiative.” This agreement established an administrative consultation mechanism and, for the first time, outlined a comprehensive development cooperation strategy for the next three to five years. The strategy identifies areas and projects for development cooperation programmes to pursue and deepen the ties between the countries.