CAIRO: Chinese President Xi Jinping on Wednesday urged Middle Eastern countries to oppose external interference and consider reshaping the region’s security architecture during his visit to Egypt.
Xi’s visit is his first trip to the Middle East in four years and comes as U.S. allies in the region reassess their strategic relationships amid months of conflict that have disrupted trade and economic activity.
Egypt, a major U.S. defense partner that receives about $1.3 billion in annual military assistance from Washington, has also been steadily expanding its economic and military cooperation with China in recent years.
According to China’s state-run Xinhua news agency, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi welcomed Xi after he arrived in Cairo.
Xi said countries in the region should take control of their own destiny and work toward establishing a new regional security framework.
The Chinese president also said Beijing was ready to work with regional countries to help protect maritime trade routes, according to Xinhua.