Chinese President Xi Jinping in a rare trip to the Cairo told his Egyptian counterpart on Wednesday that "external interference" in the Middle East should be opposed, Chinese state media reported.
Talks in the Egyptian capital between Xi and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi were a first in a decade. Interestingly, Xi at one point pledged Beijing was willing to help protect maritime shipping - though it's anything but clear what specifics would look like, or what bodies of water he had in mind.
via Reuters"China stands ready to work with countries in the region to safeguard the security of international shipping lanes, advance development cooperation… and eliminate the breeding grounds for conflict," Xi said as quoted in Xinhua.
Ironically the 'offer' comes months after President Trump urged international powers to do just that, but which was met by resounding silence, even among European leaders. Naturally they don't want to get bogged down in yet another US foreign adventure, especially when there's been lack of strategy coupled with repeat contradictions along the way.
As for his remarks about non-interference, Xi clearly had in mind the still-raging US-Iran war, which has turned into a bit of a quagmire for the US, having hit the six-month mark just this week:
"We must uphold the principle that the people of the Middle East are the masters of their own affairs, oppose external interference [and] support regional countries in
