Spotlight: Xi's article on Egyptian paper roadmap for Egypt-China future ties: experts

The article of Chinese President Xi Jinping released Tuesday on the Egyptian national Al-Ahram newspaper specifies clear aspects and draws a roadmap for the future relations between the two countries, said Egyptian experts.

Occupying the front page of the paper and the main headline, Xi's article is released a day before his anticipated arrival to Cairo from Saudi Arabia's Riyadh on an official visit as the second stop of his regional tour including Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Iran.

"Xi's article is considered a leap in the Egyptian-Chinese relations, as it outlines the road for the two countries' future bilateral ties and mutual cooperation, especially that the Chinese-Egyptian cultural year will be launched during Xi's visit to Cairo," said Tarek al-Sinouti, deputy editor-in-chief of state-run Al-Ahram Evening daily newspaper and expert of Chinese affairs.

In his article, the Chinese president said that the Chinese-Egyptian relations represent a springboard for the Chinese-Arab relations, voicing willingness to deepen mutual trust and comprehensive strategic cooperation between China and Egypt.

"What drew my attention most in Xi's article is that he addresses the Arab states, not only Egypt, which shows his awareness that Egypt represents the whole Arab world. It reflects Xi's awareness of the significance of Egypt and its central role in the region," Sameh Abdullah, managing editor of state-run Al-Ahram newspaper and head of the paper's official website, told Xinhua.

Abdullah considered Xi's article as "a strategic document" for the Chinese vision of the Arab world and Egypt, and "a framework" for future cooperation between China and the Arab world, which Xi repeated that it should be "strategic" rather than ordinary.

President Xi wrote in the article that China "will continue its support for the Middle East peace process and for the establishment of an independent Palestinian state with full sovereignty based on the 1967 borders and with East Jerusalem as its capital city."

"The article reflects China's keenness on achieving regional and international peace and stability and its awareness that Middle East peace is a prerequisite. So, it shows Chinese interest in the Palestinian cause out of interest in world peace," the expert pointed out.

For her part, political science professor Noha Bakr saw Xi's remarks on the Palestinian issue as reflection of "Chinese political wisdom and well study of history derived from its deep-rooted civilization."

"It highlights China's awareness that the Palestinian-Israeli conflict is a basic part of the Middle East security problem, and this is so much appreciated by the Arab people, especially Egypt that has a historical role in supporting the Palestinian rights," the professor told Xinhua.

President Xi said that Egypt was the first Arab state to establish diplomatic relations with China, adding that the Chinese-Arab friendly cooperation over the past 60 years has undergone "historic transformation" based on mutual respect and equality regardless of the political changes in the international arena.

He added in the article that China was the second largest trading partner for Arab countries, and trade between China and Arab countries exceeded 251.1 billion U.S. dollars in 2014, noting that China provided huge economic assistance to the Arab world over the past six decades.

During Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi's visit to China in late 2014, the leaders of the two countries agreed to elevate the level of their ties to "comprehensive strategic partnership."

"Xi's article is so meaningful, as it reiterates the depth of the Egyptian-Chinese ties and the strength of the relations between the two political leaderships," Ahmed Sallam, former media consultant at the Egyptian embassy in Beijing, told Xinhua.

President Xi also spoke of his "Belt and Road" initiative as a strategy for common interests rather than private ones, referring to possible joint development strategies between China and the Arab world through the initiative and the revival of the ancient Silk Road that linked trade between the two sides.

Experts believe that Xi's initiative could bring great benefits to Egypt and the Arab world as they represent an integral part of the Silk Road, especially that Egypt has recently inaugurated its "New Suez Canal" after massive expansion of its vital water way.

"Xi stresses through the article that his initiative can be a joint dream with Arab states rather than a Chinese one, and that it might lead the region to massive qualitative changes in economic and social fields," Sallam said.

The ex-diplomat argued that China's keenness on achieving security and stability in the Middle East is partly to provide a suitable environment for the success of the "Belt and Road" initiative.

"After reading Xi's article, I am more confident now that the Egyptian-Chinese relations will develop faster through Xi's visit that will witness the signing of many agreements," the expert told Xinhua. Endit