CAIRO, 30 January 2004 — Chinese President Hu Jintao arrived here yesterday for an official visit to Egypt that will focus on economic ties as well as review political developments in the Middle East.
Hu, who arrived on a flight from France, was later seen with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak reviewing an Egyptian military honor guard at the presidential palace in Cairo.
China’s ambassador to Cairo, Wu Sike, said the visit would focus on strengthening bilateral and economic links and would also review changes in the Middle East over the past four years.
“China is ready to transfer to Egypt its technology in all fields, without restriction,” especially in telecommunications and aeronautics, Wu said. But he added that the Chinese delegation included no military representative.
Besides talks with Mubarak, Hu will meet Arab League Secretary-General Amr Mussa, who wants to form a “Sino-Arab cooperation forum” under the umbrella of the pan-Arab organization.
Egypt recognized China in 1956 and has never had diplomatic relations with Taiwan, which Beijing views as a renegade province.
Mubarak has visited China eight times, his last trip being in 2002. In 1999, he signed a “strategic partnership” accord with China, an agreement which will be reviewed during Hu’s talks to take account of regional changes, Wu said.
China condemned last year’s US military invasion of Iraq and, like Egypt, wants Iraqi sovereignty rapidly restored in Baghdad, and the United Nations to return to Iraq.
Beijing also backs attempts by Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad to resume negotiations on the return of the Golan Heights with Israel, which has so far rebuffed them.
Hu will later travel on to Algeria and Gabon.Earlier yesterday, Hu wrapped up a four-day state visit to France described as “very positive” despite controversy over Paris supporting Beijing’s opposition to a referendum in Taiwan and sidestepping the issue of human rights.
Hu visited the headquarters of European aircraft maker Airbus yesterday morning before leaving for Egypt.
French Prime Minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin hailed the visit as “very positive” on the economic front pointing to several “important” contracts signed, notably the purchase by Southern China Airlines of 21 Airbus planes in a deal estimated to be worth at least one billion euros ($1.3 billion).
“This opens up good prospects. There is a lot of Chinese interest in the French and European aviation industry,” Raffarin said.
French newspapers, however, questioned the true economic impact of the visit while criticizing President Jacques Chirac for bending over backwards to accommodate the Chinese delegation during their stay.
“French companies don’t win contracts by flattering the regime in Beijing but rather by being better at what they do than their German counterparts,” the daily Le Figaro said in an editorial.
“Jacques Chirac went too far in trying to please Hu Jintao.”
