Xi concludes Middle East trip with promoted ties, cooperation

PROMOTING DEVELOPMENT IN MIDDLE EAST

Xi's visit to Egypt, the second leg of his regional tour, is the first by a Chinese head of state in 12 years. The two sides are celebrating the 60th anniversary of the establishment of their diplomatic ties.

During Xi's visit, the two sides signed a five-year outline document to further advance their relationship.

According to the 18-page document, they will boost their cooperation in such fields as politics, trade and economy as well as military and security.

"China will continue to view and develop its relations with Egypt from a strategic and long-term perspective," Xi said in a signed article published on local newspaper prior to his arrival.

He proposed that the two countries work together to build the Arab nation into a pivot of the Belt and Road. To that end, Xi suggested, China and Egypt should align their development strategies and visions and focus on cooperation on infrastructure construction and industrial capacity.

Xi said China is willing to participate in Egypt's key projects including the development of the Suez Canal Corridor and the construction of a new administrative capital.

Xi also invited his Egyptian counterpart Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi to attend the Group of 20 (G20) summit in the Chinese city of Hangzhou in September.

While in Egypt, Xi delivered an important speech at the headquarters of the Arab League outlining Chinese approach to issues in the Middle East.

The Chinese leader said that the key to resolving differences in the Middle East is to enhance dialogue and that the key to overcoming difficulties in the region is to promote development.

He said that the Chinese government has decided to pledge RMB50 million ($7.53 million) to help improve the livelihood of the Palestinians and RMB230 million ($35 million) for Syria, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya and Yemen as humanitarian assistance.

Xi announced loan programs in support of development in the Middle East, including $15 billion of exclusive loans, $10 billion of commercial lending and $10 billion of concessional loans, as well as joint investment funds worth a total of $20 billion.

Xi said China is not trying to fill any "vacuum" in the Middle East.

"Instead of looking for proxies, China promotes peace talks in the Middle East; instead of seeking any sphere of influence, China calls on all nations in the region to take part in the Belt and Road Initiative; and instead of attempting to fill any 'vacuum', China aspires to build a network of mutually beneficial partnerships," he said.