China-Egypt joint Mediterranean naval exercises conclude, as Beijing expands presence

China and Egypt concluded joint naval exercises on Wednesday, as Beijing expands its military influence to the eastern Mediterranean, with a guided missile destroyer part of the PLA Navy's 46th escort task group.

Naval vessels from the Chinese People's Liberation Army took part in drills, training, and a flotilla ceremony with their Egyptian counterparts off the coast of Alexandria, which began on Monday and ended Wednesday, as part of a five-day visit by Beijing's naval forces.

The exercises were perceived, by some, as another projection of Chinese military power far beyond its borders, as the US holds more visible shows of strength in the East Asia region.

The Egyptian and Chinese militaries have upped their cooperation in recent years, including in 2019 when a Chinese-built, Egyptian-operated submarine was the centrepiece of exercises in the Mediterranean, although the two countries have enjoyed long-historical relations, particularly during the rule of Gamal Abdel Nasser.

Egypt became the first Arab and African country to recognise the new communist regime in Beijing in 1956, while China provided support to Cairo during the Tripartite Aggression later that year.

Since the 1979 Camp David Accords, when hostilities between Egypt and Israel ended, the US has become a strong ally of Cairo with Washington allocating $1.3 billion in annual military aid to the country and equipping the army and air force with much of its hardware.

Still, Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi has pursued closer ties with China and Russia since becoming president in 2014 following a coup a year earlier.

China and Chinese businesses have also been keen investors in Egypt, particularly in ambitious infrastructure projects planned by Sisi such as the New Administrative Capital outside Cairo.

On a popular level, the Egyptian public also appears to back closer ties with China, with a majority of respondents in a Washington Institute poll valuing ties with Beijing 0ver Washington.

Egypt officially became a member of BRICS this year, with China a key player in the bloc, while Cairo is also a dialogue partner in the Beijing-led Shanghai Cooperation Organisation.

The New Arab has approached the US Department of Defence for comment on the Egypt-China naval exercises.