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France 24
France 24
World
FRANCE 24

Xi calls on Mideast nations to be ‘masters of their own affairs’ in rare Egypt visit

Cover image: Chinese President Xi Jinping is welcomed by Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sissi at Cairo International Airport on September 1, 2026. © Khaled Desouki, AP

Chinese President Xi Jinping on Wednesday called on "the people of the Middle East" to oppose "externalinterference" and consider reshaping the region's security order during a visit to Egypt. The rare visit by the Chinese leader comes as Beijing aims to expand its influence in the region as the Iran war tests the reliability of the traditional US security umbrella in a vital geostrategic zone.

Chinese President Xi Jinping on Wednesday urged countries to oppose "external interference" in the Middle East and said Beijing was ready to work with regional states to safeguard maritime shipping, jeopardised by the US-Iran war.

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