CAIRO, Sept. 19 (Xinhua) -- Egypt views China as an important and distinctive strategic partner and welcomes more Chinese companies to invest in the country, Egyptian Minister of Investment and Foreign Trade Mohamed Farid Saleh said recently.
Egypt also looks forward to expanding trade and economic cooperation with China and bringing more Egyptian products to the Chinese market, Saleh said.
He made the remarks during a reception hosted by the Chinese Embassy in Cairo on Thursday evening to celebrate the 77th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China.
Speaking on behalf of the Egyptian government, Saleh noted that this year also marks the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Egypt and China.
"Over the past 70 years, Egypt and China have consistently maintained a solid friendship, mutual trust, and mutual respect, working together to promote development and prosperity for their peoples," the Egyptian minister said.
Saleh said Chinese companies operating in Egypt have made significant progress in recent years, with their products exported to markets around the world.
He said Chinese companies have also played an important role in Egypt's major national projects over the years, creating jobs, facilitating technology transfer and promoting industrial localization.
Egypt attaches great importance to cooperation with China in high value-added sectors, including automobiles and auto components, energy storage batteries, solar panels, and seawater desalination, Saleh said, adding the country also welcomes more Chinese investment in household appliances, electronics, textiles, and petrochemicals.
He welcomed China's zero-tariff policy for 53 African countries that have diplomatic ties with China, saying Egypt is working to bring more of its products to the Chinese market, tap into the market's enormous potential, and expand and diversify its exports.
Saleh said the Ministry of Investment and Foreign Trade is ready to work with the Chinese side to address difficulties facing Chinese companies investing in Egypt, further improve the investment environment to attract more Chinese companies, and encourage existing Chinese investors to expand their operations.
For his part, Chinese Ambassador to Egypt Liao Liqiang said that, over the seven decades since the establishment of diplomatic ties between China and Egypt, the two countries have been closely linked by their shared pursuit of independence and stability.
Looking ahead, he said, the endeavor to build a China-Egypt community with a shared future will bring the two countries even closer, and they will work together to make greater contributions to safeguarding world peace and promoting common development. ■