China-Egypt 'Golden Decade', How Iran's sanctioned oil gets to China, Shandong Port not accepting US-sanctioned tankers.

What’s behind Egypt and China’s ‘golden decade’ of partnership - me, for the Atlantic Council.

I’ve frequently written about the expansion of China-Egypt relations here and have been planning a longer article, most likely for an academic journal, but in the meantime I put some thoughts together on 2024 as a) the “Egypt-China Partnership Year” and b) the end of “the Golden Decade”, started when the two signed their comprehensive strategic partnership during a Sisi visit to Beijing. The relationship has certainly taken off over the past ten years - I don’t think there’s ever been as consequential a decade in Sino-Egyptian relations - but beneath the big numbers, it still seems very transactional to me. Beyond the construction, the factories, and the (very one-sided) trade, China doesn’t offer Egypt answers to the truly strategic concerns facing Cairo. In fact, China’s positions on the Grand Renaissance Ethiopian Dam, the impact of the Red Sea shipping crisis on Suez revenues, and instability in Libya and Sudan, either don’t help Egypt or actively undermine it. So like most relationships in the Middle East, it’s a lot more complex than it looks at first blush.