Egyptian PM sees "deep and solid" relations with China
Background: A major new alliance is emerging between Iran and China that threatens to undermine U.S. ability to pressure Tehran on its nuclear program, support for extremist groups and refusal to back Arab-Israeli peace efforts. #msg-4590751
A somewhat less dramatic yet burgeoning alliance is becoming evident between Egypt and China. This I believe to be propelled in large part by the Suez Canal and China's penchant for controlling global shipping choke points.
Egypt cognizant of the fact that they are marked for infiltration by the United States and quite probably Israel who wish to tighten control over them announces they are ready to promote ties with China. This seems a means by which Egypt might also benefit from China’s protection. Egypt is very important to China as Chinese enterprises could see Egypt as a springboard for expanding their businesses in Africa, the Middle East and Europe. #msg-4246778
The Chinese government utilizes the merchant fleet to support the military, and to deliver arms shipments. China’s shipbuilding industry is quickly growing to become a major force in this market. The China Ocean Shipping Company (COSCO) is a conglomerate that own 34 subsidiaries based in a dozen countries.
COSCO has a substantial presence at two strategically located ports in the world, Singapore and Port Said, Egypt at the entrance of the Suez Canal. There are credible reports linking COSCO to the Chinese military. The U.S. Congress’s Cox Report states, “Although presented as a commercial entity, COSCO is actually an arm of the Chinese military establishment.” #msg-4024852
Note: Suez Canal and Sumed Pipeline Location: Egypt; connect the Red Sea and Gulf of Suez with the Mediterranean Sea Oil Flows (1995): 2.9 million b/d (0.8 million b/d through Suez Canal, 2.1 million b/d through Sumed Pipeline) Destination of Oil Exports: Europe, United States Main Concerns: Closure of the Suez Canal and/or Sumed Pipeline would divert tankers around the southern tip of Africa (the Cape of Good Hope), adding greatly to transit time and cost, and effectively tying up spare tanker capacity. http://www.eia.doe.gov/emeu/cabs/choke.htm
Just as China requires Iran’s oil and gas the dragon desires control of the Suez therefore there exists the chance that this second major alliance in the Middle East this time between China and Egypt will also undermine the U.S. and Israel’s room to maneuver.
-Am
Egyptian PM sees "deep and solid" relations with China
UPDATED: 08:02, November 19, 2004
Egyptian Prime Minister Ahmed Nazef stressed on Thursday that the relations between Egypt and China were "deep and solid", expressing optimism over the further development of bilateral ties.
Nazef made the remarks in an exclusive interview with Xinhua two days before China's Vice Premier Huang Ju's visit to Egypt.
The prime minister emphasized that Huang's visit, at his invitation, showed the leaders of the two countries attached great importance to the bilateral relations.
The Sino-Egyptian friendship has enjoyed a long history and has a solid base of mutual respect and friendly cooperation, and relations between the two sides in political, economic and military domains are developing steadily and concretely, he added.
Nazef also revealed that bilateral cooperation in economy, trade and investment would be highlighted in the talks with the senior Chinese official.
In addition, Nazef noted that China showed positive positions on the Middle East issues, especially on supporting the Palestinian cause of establishing an independent state, adding that Egypt considered China a major power in the world.
At the same time, he praised China for not pursuing hegemony and interfering in other countries' internal affairs.
China is a friend of the Arab world and both sides support each other in the international political arena, said Nazef.
Egypt and China are not only countries which have a long history of civilizations but also important developing countries in the world, and the strategic cooperation between the two sides are being enhanced within the context of mutual trust and goodwill, Nazef added.
The prime minister noted that bilateral ecomonic and trade relations were developing quickly, especially in 2003 when trade volume reached 1.09 billion US dollars, a 15.4 percent increase over 2002.
On the cooperation in investment, Nazef said Chinese investment in Egypt was soaring dramatically.
According to latest Egyptian official statistics, there are currently 114 Chinese companies and Sino-Egyptian joint ventures in Egypt.
Meanwhile, the Sino-Egyptian trade and cooperation are expanded in finance, insurance, tourism, oil, agriculture, IT, chemical products and biological engineering sectors.
China has invested in the No. 3 District of the Suez Economic Zone in eastern Egypt, where roads and other infrastructure projects are under construction. When all the basic projects are completed, more Chinese companies are expected to come and invest in the zone.
Nazef said it was very important for Egypt to improve the ecomonic and trade relations with China, noting that although the bilateral trade had improved substantially, it still lagged behind the development of the political ties between the two countries.
In 1999, Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak visited China and several cooperation agreements were signed including those on the development of tourism industry and peaceful utilization of nuclear technology.
Najef said the prospects for science and technology cooperation between the two countries are bright, especially in IT fields and construction of power plants, which Egypt was eager to develop in the future.
Egypt and China will also put more emphasis on the exchange of experts and training professional personnel, he added.
When talking about the cooperation in the oil sector, he said negotiations were underway with a Chinese oil company to give it a license to explore oil fields in Egypt as the two countries had made progress in several natural gas projects.
Nazef concluded that Egypt, which enjoys political stability with a big market and many unique advantages in the region, had taken concrete measures to attract foreign investment and to boost the confidence of foreign investors.
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