Mubarak's China visit to boost economic cooperation

President Mubarak arrives in China on November 3, 2006. During the visit he is scheduled to take part in the China-Africa Cooperation Forum on November 4. Meetings with the Chinese leaders will officially open on November 6.

Mubarak's visit coincides with the 50th Anniversary of relations between the two countries. Egypt was the first country in the Arab world and Africa to recognize the government of the People's Republic of China in 1956, and among the first to support China's occupying a permanent seat in the United Nations Security Council.

In 1999, one of Mubarak's 8 visits to China, a strategic cooperation agreement was signed marking the special importance Beijing attaches to Egypt, as one of the countries counted on the fingers of a single hand with which it maintains special relations.

Their ancient civilizations and cultural heritage apart, both countries see eye to eye on most international and regional issues. They coordinate as best as they can on international forums.

The most recent of President Mubarak's visits to China took place in January 2002, where 5 agreements of cooperation between the two countries were signed.

With the exception of Moa Zedong who rarely traveled, all Chinese presidents and prime ministers visited Egypt. Incumbent President Jiang Zemin has even broken the protocol code of paying one visit to each country by visiting Egypt twice.

During talks with the Chinese officials starting November 6, the focus will be on ways of reforming and reviving the role of the UN as well as on the restructuring of the Security Council and Egypt's stance reflecting African demands.

The peaceful use of nuclear energy in generating power is also on the agenda. Leaders of the two countries will explore ways as to how China could help Egypt in that connection. The two sides are also expected to sign a host of cooperation agreements in the fields of information technology, communications and small and medium-size enterprises.

Egypt's trade relations with China will make it Cairo's Number One trade partner by 2010. Trade exchange between both countries until October 2006 is valued at $958.1 billion at an increase rate of 16.47% over the figure calculated for the same period of 2005. The number of joint Egyptian-Chinese ventures registered in Egypt until June 2006 is 214 with a total of investments put at $230 million. Meanwhile, Egypt seeks to push the volume of trade exchange with China up to $7 billion by 2010.

The Egyptians, moreover, hope to benefit from China's experiment in attracting foreign investments and in managing and marketing industrial zones.

During his visit in September 2006, Minister of Trade and Industry Rasheed Mohammad Rasheed and Chinese Minister of Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation Shi Guangsheng signed a framework agreement of cooperation under which a series of projects will be established in Egypt using Chinese technology; the cost of the projects is most likely to exceed the $2 billion mark.

On the cultural side, marked activities are taking place in the area of the inter-civilizations dialogue. Egyptian universities boast a number of Chinese language sections. The Chinese Cultural Center in Cairo set up in 2000 is also the first such to be established in the Arab world.

At present, studies are underway with a view to establishing a Chinese university in Cairo along the same lines as those of the American, French, German and British universities.

Arabic is being taught at present in 10 Chinese universities. Studies are being conducted for setting up a primary-through-secondary school in Egypt in which Chinese will be taught as a language.

Tourism is a key ingredient of Egyptian-Chinese bilateral ties. The number of Chinese tourists coming to Egypt is expected to increase to 50 thousand this year and 240 thousand by 2009.