Xi Jinping lands in Cairo on first Middle East trip since regional conflicts erupted

Chinese President Xi Jinping touched down in Cairo on Tuesday, beginning his first visit to the Middle East since a series of major conflicts engulfed the region. He was accompanied by his wife, and the two were received at Cairo International Airport by Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi and his spouse.

A red carpet was rolled out from the aircraft, flanked by a military honour guard and rows of officials, as the two leaders exchanged greetings before walking together into the presidential hall.

Ahead of the visit, el-Sissi's office said the discussions would cover bilateral ties, ways to deepen the strategic partnership between the two nations, and the latest regional and international developments.

Egypt, a longstanding U.S. ally, has in recent years sought to broaden its military and economic cooperation with China, the world's second-largest economy, as part of a wider push to diversify its strategic alliances.

Xi's Cairo stop follows his attendance at a two-day summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. That meeting brought together leaders from Russia, India, Pakistan, and Iran, among others, for talks on political and security cooperation in a grouping often viewed as a counterweight to Western influence.