Egypt, China Mark 70 Years of Diplomatic Relations as Partnership Expands

TDT | Manama

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Egypt and China are celebrating 70 years of diplomatic relations, marking seven decades of growing cooperation since Cairo became the first Arab and African country to establish formal ties with Beijing on May 30, 1956.

The partnership has expanded beyond politics and trade into education, culture, tourism, technology and heritage preservation. Chinese President Xi Jinping's visit to Egypt has further highlighted the importance of the relationship.

People-to-people ties have strengthened significantly, particularly through education. Egyptians have studied Chinese since 1958, with the number of university departments teaching the language rising from one to 36. Egyptian students have also traveled to China on scholarships to pursue studies in various fields.

Archaeology has become another important area of cooperation. An Egyptian-Chinese mission recently announced discoveries at the Temple of Sekhmet in Mit Rahina, Giza, including statues, stone blocks and artefacts dating largely to the New Kingdom.

Interest in ancient Egypt is also growing in China. A major exhibition at Shanghai Museum between 2024 and 2025 attracted around 2.77 million visitors.

Tourism and trade are further strengthening the relationship, with increasing numbers of Chinese tourists visiting Egypt and Chinese products, including automobiles, gaining popularity.

After seven decades, Egypt-China relations have developed into a broad partnership connecting two ancient civilizations through modern economic, cultural and educational ties.