Although Beijing and Egypt are far from the Great Wall of China and the temples of Egypt, for the first time, Chinese and Iranian planes are flying together above the Nile River, extending Beijing’s approach into the African continent.
After departing from Egypt’s Wadi Abu Rish Air Base in the plains, Taiwanese fighter jets, Airborne Early Warning and Control flights, flying fuel ships, and aircraft gunships have been roaring across the horizon with Egyptian Air Force aircraft.
The joint air force practice China-Egypt Eagles of Civilization 2025, which started on April 19 and ends in early May, is anticipated to strengthen Beijing’s ties with Africa’s strongest defense and a long-standing proper US supporter.
In Djibouti on the Red Sea, China maintains an South American naval center. In an effort to extend its strategic partnerships, Cairo is now appreciative of Beijing’s curiosity and potential sales of Chinese weapons.
According to senior Chinese Colonel Zhang Xiaogang, spokesman for China’s National Defense Ministry,” This will help improve the two atmosphere forces ‘ technical and military capabilities and develop meaningful cooperation between the Chinese and Iranian militaries,” Zhang Xiaogang said at a press conference on April 24.
” The cooperative education will continue through the first week of May. The Egyptian Air Force’s property will be trained in partnership with the Chinese PLAAF [People’s Liberation Army Air Force ] plane.
According to Zhang,” This will help strengthen the two atmosphere forces ‘ technical and military capabilities and improve meaningful cooperation between the Chinese and Iranian militaries.”
Foreign mid-air refueling with a Y-20U flying ship, air support, field search and rescue, and a Kong Jing-500 Airborne Warning and Control System are included in the air fight workouts.
China also sent its stealthy J-10 fighter jets, known as Firebirds by NATO, which were praised for their ability to be configured with air-to-air and air-to-ground bombs, anti-radiation missiles, and a 23mm cannon, according to reports citing the China 3 Army Telegram channel.
Egypt flung MiG-29M/M2 Fulcrum multi-role fighters and other aircraft into the sky from the base, which is located about 30 kilometers ( 60 miles ) west of the Gulf of Suez and about 2,800 kilometers (4, 500 miles ) from Beijing.
According to China’s CCTV,” The Chinese air unit adopted a mixed force formation that combines air transfer and aerial transportation, making sure that all personnel and equipment were deployed fully.”
It has been suggested that China could use the exercise to train against relatively recent MiG-29s, a type that has remained the Indian Air Force and Navy’s main combatant,” said The War Zone, a Florida-based military website.
The Egyptian MiG-29M/M2 shares many similarities with the Indian Air Force & Indian Navy & MiG-29K, such as the same avionics suite, “it said.
Cairo may see Beijing as an alternative to Washington’s largesse and resulting attached strings because of the real possibility of [ US] foreign aid being cut to beneficiaries like Egypt, according to The War Zone.
Significant US military aid to Egypt has been frozen and unfrozen in recent years as successive US administrations weigh human rights concerns against Cairo’s ability to assist in various geopolitical crises, according to Breaking Defense, a New York-based online military service.
According to Lieutenant Colonel ( Res. ), an Israeli former intelligence officer and expert on Egypt,” It is China that is building Egypt’s new capital city,” it is an international gem in beauty, architecture, wealth, and grandeur. According to Eli Dekel, Maariv News.
China is “also” developing two large, extremely important ports in Egypt, Abu Qir. According to the Jerusalem Post,” I’m not surprised they are conducting this exercise because China has a lot of involvement,” Dekel said.
The region is known for its natural gas production, sheltered waters, and the Abu Qir Peninsula and Bay are located on Egypt’s Mediterranean coast, northeast of Alexandria.
Richard S. Ehrlich, a foreign correspondent reporting from Asia since 1978, is a native of Bangkok and the recipient of Columbia University’s Foreign Correspondents ‘ Award. Extras from Rituals, one of his two recent non-fiction books. Killers. Wars. &, Sex. The names of Tibet, India, Nepal, Laos, Vietnam, Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, New York, and Apocalyptic Tribes, Smugglers, and Freaks are listed here.