( Last Update: 2003/08/25)

I.POLITICAL EXCHANGES

China and Egypt established diplomatic relations on May 30,1956. And the relationship between the two countries has been developing very smoothly. In the sixties, Premier Zhou Enlai visited Egypt three times. After that, President Li Xiannian, President Yang Shangkun, Premier Li Peng, Chairman of Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) Li Ruihuan, Vice Premier Zhu Rongji, Chairman of National People's Congress (NPC) Qiao Shi, President Jiang Zeming, Vice Premier and Foreign Minister Qian Qichen, etc. have visited Egypt one after another. From the Egyptian side, President Mubarak (seven times), Premier Gan Zoury , Speaker of People's Assembly Souour, etc. visited China. In April 1999,when Egyptian President Mubarak was visiting China, he signed a joint communique with Chinese President Jiang Zeming on establishing strategic cooperative relationship between Egypt and China.

Bilateral exchanges in 2002:

April 19-23, Zhu Rongji, Premier of the State Council of China visited Egypt.

April 12-15, Chen Zhili, Chinese Minister of Education visited Egypt.

January 23-26, Egyptian President Mubarak visited China.

II.ECONOMIC EXCHANGES

The two sides have signed several agreements concerning trade, investment protection, avoidance of double taxation, etc., and a joint committee on trade and economic cooperation has had three meetings. Besides, the two countries have cooperated for mutual benefits in the fields like economic technology, labor contracting, etc. China has built many projects such as Cairo International Conference Center for Egypt.

In 1999, Sino-Egyptian trade volume reached USD750.22 million, of which China's exports to Egypt were USD715.875 million and imports from Egypt USD34.363 million.

The total volume of Sino-Egyptian trade in 2001 was US$953,210,000, of which the Chinese export was US$872,850,000, and import US$80,320,000.

III.CULTURAL EXCHANGES

China and Egypt signed an official agreement on cultural cooperation in 1956. Now six implementation plans of cultural exchanges have been signed. China has attended almost every Cairo International Book Exhibition and International Movie Festival. On Dec.1995,China signed with Egypt a memorandum of understanding on the two countries' educational cooperation. Since 1972,China has sent sports coaches to Egypt.

IV.IMPORTANT BILATERAL AGREEMENTS AND DOCUMENTS

JOINT COMMUNIQUE BETWEEN THE GOVERNMENT OF THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA AND THE GOVERNMENT OF ARAB REPUBLIC OF EGYPT ON ESTABLISHMENT OF DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS AT AMBASSADORIAL LEVEL----- May 1956

JOINT COMMUNIQUE ON ESTABLISHING STATEGIC COOPERATIVE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA AND ARAB REPUBLIC OF EGYPT---- April 1999

2000 has seen new progress in Sino-Egptian bilateral relations.

In Apr. 17, President Jiang Zemin met President Mubarak in Alexandra.

From Nov. 16 to 19, Vice Premier Wu Bangguo visited Egypt.

From Jun. 21 to 24, during his visit to Egypt, Minister of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations Shi Guangsheng and the Egyptian Economic and Trade Minister jointly presided over the 4th session of Sino-Egyptian Economic and Trade Commission.

In Aug. 31, Chairman Li Peng met the Egyptian Speaker of People's Assembly Souour during the UN millennium Speakers Conference.

In Sep. 11, Foreign Minister Tang Jiaxuan met the Egyptian Foreign Minister.

In Oct. 10, Egyptian Assistant Minister Ibrahim Ali Hassan in charge of African Affairs led a delegation to attend the Beijing 2000 Ministerial Conference of the China-Afroca Cooperation Forum.

(Source: fmprc.gov.cn)