Hisham el-Zimaity

China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative （BRI） is a “gamechanger” for world economy due to its influence oneconomic and trade relations between participant states throughwin-win partnerships.

There is lack of communication and sufficient transport tolink developing states， but the BRI adds new roads and means oftransport through infrastructure projects， development of ports，road networks， railways， etc.， facilitating communication andtrade among nations.

Egypt is a focal point in the BRI as the vital Suez Canal isa central waterway for world trade， and the development of theSuez Canal Economic Zone （SCZone） through the upgrade ofseveral ports and the establishment of key infrastructure projectshighlights it on the BRI map.

Under the BRI， China has funded many infrastructureprojects in Africa， including the railway connecting Ethiopia andDjibouti， the Maputo-Katembe cross-sea bridge in Mozambiqueand others.

The BRI helps boost mutual trade between Egypt and otherAfrican states， because Mombasa and Djibouti ports developedby China have become very important for intemational trade andthey both have direct links with Egypt's Suez Canal.

Many tenants and enterprises were attracted to the SCZone.including China's fiberglass giant manufacturer Jushi. whichhelped Egypt become one of the largest fiberglass producers andexporters in the world over the past couple of years.

There are dozens of Chinese companies currently investingin the Suez Canal region in various fields that are important toboth the Egyptian market and the Chinese investors.

Egypt’s special location as a portal for Africa， the Arab worldand the Middle East， besides the presence of the Suez Canal，makes it a main strategic partner in this important initiative.

The BRI routes pass through states that are not completelystable， such as Afghanistan， Iraq and Syria. And China is amongthe leading states that work on the stability and development ofthese countries.