​​Mr. Hossam Heiba, CEO of the General Authority for Investment and Free Zones (GAFI), met with Mr. Wang Weizhong, Governor of Guangdong Province, China. The governor headed a delegation that included representatives of various government bodies from the province as well as Chinese companies operating in the Egyptian market—such as Midea, OPPO, ZTE Communications and IT, and GAC Automotive—and companies seeking to invest in Egypt.

The two sides discussed the investment cooperation agenda for the second half of 2025, which includes the participation of the Ministry of Investment and Foreign Trade in the World Economic Forum in Tianjin, China, from 24 to 26 June. This will be followed by meetings with the Chinese business community in Beijing and Shanghai. An Egyptian-Chinese Investment Forum is also planned in Cairo in July, with the attendance of Chinese Vice Minister of Commerce, Mr. Wang Shouwen. Preparations are also underway for Egypt's participation in the China Import and Export Fair, which will be hosted in Guangdong Province next October and is expected to attract 60,000 business entities, in addition to many other events.

Mr. Heiba noted that the busy investment cooperation agenda between the two countries stems from several key factors, most notably the strong political ties between the leaderships of both countries, Egypt's attractive investment environment, and ongoing transformations in the global economy.

These shifts have led to changes in global investment strategies and the need to establish new value chains. As a result, GAFI has been receiving Chinese investment delegations with increasing frequency to explore and pursue investment opportunities in Egypt.

According to GAFI data, around 2,800 Chinese companies are currently operating in Egypt, with total investment costs exceeding $8 billion. These include well-known brands in the Egyptian market such as OPPO, Haier, Jushi, Midea, TEDA, Huawei, and Brilliance.

GAFI CEO emphasized that the Egyptian government places special importance on Chinese investments due to their focus on technology transfer, high employment generation, and the typically large scale of Chinese investments. For example, GAFI is planning to establish a full-fledged Chinese textile city in Minya Governorate in cooperation with the China National Textile and Apparel Council-CNTAC, under the free zone framework that supports exports. Additionally, three Chinese companies—Haier, Midea, and Shanfeng—have been granted the Golden License, which includes all permits required to establish and operate businesses.

Mr. Heiba added that the Egyptian government is targeting Chinese investments in key sectors such as automotive, building materials, textiles, electronics, renewable energy, data centers, and artificial intelligence.
For his part, Mr. Wang Weizhong affirmed the depth of diplomatic and economic relations between Egypt and China, noting that the two countries have enjoyed a comprehensive strategic partnership since 2014—the highest level of diplomatic relations. He also referred to Chinese President Xi Jinping's directives to enhance cooperation with Egypt.

Mr. Wang added that Guangdong Province alone accounts for one-fifth of China's trade with Egypt, and that its residents show the highest demand for tourism in Egypt. He proposed establishing a permanent Egyptian cultural exhibition in the province to support tourism flows between the two countries.

Mr. Feng Xingya, Chairman of GAC Automotive, announced the company's intention to invest $300 million to establish a car manufacturing plant in Egypt to meet local market demand and for export, in light of the Egyptian government's strong support—led by Prime Minister Dr. Mostafa Madbouly—for the automotive industry.

Mr. Zhou Peng, CEO of ZTE Communications and IT, stated that the company aims to expand in Egypt and localize Chinese technology, capitalizing on the strong demand from Egyptian telecom service providers to upgrade the sector's infrastructure.

Mr. Ma Jixiang, General Manager of OPPO Egypt, explained that since launching operations in the Egyptian market in 2014, the company has established two factories covering more than 20,000 square meters, providing 1,000 job opportunities and producing 4 to 5 million phones annually. He announced that the parent company plans to transform its factories in Egypt into its second-largest global manufacturing hub after China, to meet local demand and export to regional markets.​