China’s Xi urges new Middle East security framework during rare Egypt visit

Chinese, Egyptian leaders discuss the Israel-war-on-Iran" class="entity-link entity-event" data-entity-id="38678" data-entity-type="event">US-Israel war on Iran, wich has prompted regional powers to rethink defence.Chinese President Xi Jinping has called on Middle East countries to oppose external influence and consider reshaping the region’s security order.Xi’s remarks on Wednesday to his Egyptian counterpart Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, on his first visit to Cairo in a decade, come as Beijing seeks to expand its influence in the region amid the United States-Israel war with Iran.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3Can the Suez save Asian oil consumers after Houthis shut Bab al-Mandeb?list 2 of 3How US-Iran war may push Gulf countries to ‘diversify’ security allianceslist 3 of 3How Pakistan mediated a US-Iran agreement after more than 100 days of warend of list“We must uphold the principle that the people of the Middle East are the masters of their own affairs, oppose external interference [and] support regional countries in strengthening dialogue on peace and security,” Xi said in a meeting with el-Sisi, according to Chinese state news agency Xinhua.Xi was greeted by el-Sisi and a 21-gun salute for talks at the Ittihadiya presidential palace in the Egyptian capital.The talks covered the six-month Israel-war-on-Iran" class="entity-link entity-event" data-entity-id="38678" data-entity-type="event">US-Israel war on Iran, with both presidents urging “diplomatic solutions” to reach a “comprehensive agreement to end the war”, according to a statement from el-Sisi’s spokesperson.Sisi’s office also said the two countries signed an agreement to launch the third phase of the Egyptian-Chinese industrial zone at the Suez Canal, which officials say already hosts 200 companies and investments worth approximately $4bn.The new investments – for which Egypt has not announced a figure – give Beijing even greater influence in the canal zone, a critical artery of global trade, as conflict in the region chokes traffic in the Strait of Hormuz, which passes between Oman and Iran, and the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, which separates Yemen and the Horn of Africa.Xi said China “stands ready to work with countries in the region to safeguard the security of international shipping lanes, advance development cooperation … and eliminate the breeding grounds for conflict”.