Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi met with Chinese language President Xi Jinping and as soon as once more careworn Egypt’s full assist for the One-China Precept.
“The Egyptian facet emphasised its rejection of interference in China’s inner affairs and its steadfast dedication to the One-China precept, recognizing Taiwan as an inalienable a part of the territory of the Individuals’s Republic of China, supporting the Chinese language place on points pertinent to China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, and supporting the achievement of China’s nationwide reunification,” states a joint assertion printed by the Egyptian authorities after a gathering between the 2 leaders.
China considers Taiwan a renegade Chinese language province and has vowed to unite it with the Chinese language mainland, with power if mandatory. In actual fact, it has been making ready for a full-scale invasion and frequently engages in gray-zone warfare techniques towards the self-ruled state.
Egypt was the primary Arab and African nation to acknowledge China and set up diplomatic relations with the communist nation in 1956.
Nonetheless, the most recent assertion makes use of comparatively robust language, aligning with Beijing’s most popular “One China precept” somewhat than the extra certified “One China insurance policies” of nations like america, which “acknowledge” however don’t absolutely endorse China’s sovereignty declare over Taiwan.
Xi’s go to to Egypt coincides with the seventieth anniversary of diplomatic relations and marks his first journey to Egypt in a decade.
Past the One-China reaffirmation, either side pledged mutual assist for one another’s core pursuits — for instance, China acknowledged the Nile River’s important significance to Egypt and Egypt’s proper to guard its water and meals safety.
The go to comes shortly after the Individuals’s Liberation Military Air Drive (PLAAF) and Egyptian Air Drive launched the Eagles of Civilization 2026 joint aerial drills on 22 August.
The train featured mock engagements between Chinese language J-16 fighters and Egyptian Rafales, masking each beyond-visual-range (BVR) and within-visual-range fight, marking the primary time Chinese language fight plane educated towards a Western-origin platform.
Individually, a Chinese language YY-20 aerial tanker additionally performed mid-air refueling of Egyptian Rafales—an occasion extensively described as historic, in keeping with the EurAsian Occasions.
Nonetheless, inside days of those historic drills and the supposed excessive diploma of cooperation between the 2 sides, Egypt has reportedly submitted a proper Request for Proposal (RFP) to Dassault Aviation for twenty-four further Rafale fighters. This will likely be Egypt’s third Rafale buy, bringing its complete Rafale fleet to 78.
Rafale Over J-10C For Egypt
The Egyptian Air Drive at present operates a blended fleet of American F-16s, Russian MiG-29M/M2s, and French Rafales.
Egypt bought 24 Rafales from France and 46 MiG-29M/M2 fighters from Russia in 2015.
This was adopted by an order for twenty-four Su-35 fighters from Russia in 2018, though Cairo ultimately deserted the acquisition because of the menace of US sanctions, prompting it to position one other order for 30 Rafale fighters from France.
Regardless of these purchases, Egypt has been searching for one other superior plane, primarily due to difficulties sustaining the prevailing Russian and American fighters in its stock.
For instance, the upkeep of the Russian MiG-29 fleet has been difficult by provide disruptions brought on by the warfare in Ukraine, whereas upgrades and spare components for the big, ageing F-16 fleet face US restrictions and operational limitations.
These experiences prompted Cairo to diversify its arms suppliers.
Seizing the chance, China debuted its J-10C multi-role fight plane on the Egypt Worldwide Air Present in September 2024, sparking hypothesis that Egypt was contemplating a purchase order.
Later, in February 2025, native Egyptian publications reported that the nation had secured the supply of the plane from China. The Chinese language Protection Ministry later dismissed the claims as “pretend information.”
The Egyptian navy introduced the opening of the joint Chinese language-Egyptian train “Eagles of Civilization 2025.” For the drill, China introduced the J-10C fighter jet to Egypt. Through: X
Later within the 12 months, the J-10C made its fight debut within the Pakistani Air Drive (PAF) in the course of the four-day battle with India in Might 2025. The PAF claimed that the J-10C shot down Indian Rafales throughout an intense aerial duel—a declare that has been extensively amplified by China to advertise the plane within the export market.
In actual fact, France accused China of operating an anti-Rafale marketing campaign to advertise its warplanes just like the J-10C.
The PLAAF even introduced its J-10Cs to Egypt for the “Eagles of Civilization 2025” navy drills. This was seen as essentially the most direct promotion of the jet to the Egyptian Air Drive, particularly since footage from the train confirmed an Egyptian pilot sitting within the J-10C’s cockpit, probably to familiarize himself with the plane.
Towards this backdrop, Egypt’s resolution to pursue extra Rafales has drawn criticism from some Chinese language observers and bloggers.
Why is Egypt Selecting Extra Rafales?
China is making a concerted effort to place itself as Egypt’s most popular non-Western airpower provider, capitalizing on Russian business constraints stemming from the warfare in Ukraine.
The J-10C gives clear benefits on paper: it helps Egypt’s diversification targets, falls beneath essentially the most delicate sanctions thresholds, and would deepen the navy partnership with China. Nonetheless, Egyptian weapons procurement will not be purely technical; it additionally serves political targets.
For one, Egypt is an in depth companion of america and one of many largest beneficiaries of American navy support, second solely to Israel. Washington has offered Cairo with tens of billions of {dollars} in navy and financial assist during the last 4 many years, which might be used to discourage main Chinese language purchases of fight plane.
Furthermore, Egypt’s buy and integration of the J-10C into its air power might ruffle some feathers in each america and France, as it will heighten the chance of an adversary state having access to F-16s and Rafales.
Earlier, as an illustration, Egypt had to surrender its Su-35 buy to keep away from sanctions below CAATSA (Countering America’s Adversaries By means of Sanctions Act) amid related dangers assessed by Washington.
Analysts notice {that a} J-10C acquisition might threat support suspension, restrictions on F-16 spare components, or broader cuts in cooperation. This can be too excessive a price for Cairo, which was lastly cleared to purchase AIM-120 air-to-air missiles in July 2025 together with a significant air protection bundle consisting of NASAMS.
Whereas Egypt has already acquired Chinese language drones, trainers, and a few air-defense programs, main fight plane might nonetheless face vital political constraints. Furthermore, US anxieties a few Chinese language plane within the Center East could have seen an extra uptick, as Beijing is searching for nearer partnerships with US allies within the area amid a quickly altering geopolitical panorama and US losses within the warfare with Iran
Moreover, including a brand new Chinese language kind to a fleet composed of US, French, and leftover Russian programs would require separate upkeep chains, spare components inventories, tooling, and pipelines for coaching pilots and floor crew, rising prices for the Egyptian Air Drive. Then again, increasing the Rafale fleet gives continuity, leverages present infrastructure, and lowers incremental logistical prices.
