Xi Urges Middle East to Shed US Security Grip Amid Doubts Over Washington

Chinese President Xi Jinping, during a visit to Egypt, called on Middle Eastern countries to break free from American security oversight, capitalizing on growing doubts about Washington's policy in the region. On Wednesday, September 2, Xi and his host, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi, posed with their spouses for a photo in front of the Pyramid of Giza, near Cairo. The two leaders spoke before the Mask of Tutankhamun, framing their meeting as a gathering of leaders from two of the world's oldest civilizations.

Xi recalled the mutual support between their countries, saying they stood "side by side for national independence and against imperialism and colonialism." He noted that seventy years earlier, Egypt under Nasser had been the first Arab and African country to recognize Mao's People's Republic of China, and urged that this past serve as inspiration for the present. The visit was Xi's first to the Middle East in four years, a region now in turmoil. The Chinese leader, who has consistently denounced US dominance, arrived in Egypt on Tuesday evening as the United States and Iran were exchanging fire.