With Egyptian President Al Sisi in Beijing, China is looking to expand its ties with Cairo. In what Chinese President Xi Jinping called "an important milestone," China and Egypt have upgraded their relationship to a "comprehensive strategic partnership." The agreement came as Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al Sisi is in Beijing for an official visit. The two leaders further agreed to increase China-Egypt "political, economic, military, cultural and technological cooperation" as well as coordination at the regional and international level. The visit of President Sisi to China caps a year in which China has taken small but meaningful steps to increase its role in the Middle East. At this year's China-Arab Cooperation Forum, Beijing promised to seek more engagement in this region, an increasingly important hot spot for energy-hungry China. Xi Jinping declared 2014 and 2015 "years of China-Arab friendship," with increased exchanges and visits. Sure enough, China has been busy fostering deeper ties with Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and Lebanon. Egypt is a particularly interesting case, as the country long enjoyed a close partnership with the United States. However, U.S.-Egypt relations have faltered a bit in the wake of political turmoil in Egypt, beginning with the ouster of long-time dictator Hosni Mubarak in 2011.
