Egypt and China have consolidated their military cooperation by announcing new air combat drills that are set to start this month. "The Chinese and Egyptian air forces will hold Eagles of Civilization 2026 joint training in Egypt from mid-August to early September," said Senior Colonel Chen Xi, spokesperson for China's Ministry of National Defense (MND), at a press briefing on Friday. "The training will focus on such subjects as air combat tactics, air superiority operations, and combat search and rescue, and will include force employment drills," said the spokesperson. "As the second iteration of its kind, the joint training will further enhance mutual trust and traditional friendship, deepen substantive cooperation between the Chinese and Egyptian militaries, and contribute to regional peace and stability," stressed the spokesperson. The joint air force exercise between China and Egypt "Eagles of Civilization 2025" was held in April last year at an Egyptian air base. It marked the first-ever military air drill between the two nations and the first time the Chinese PLA Air Force systematically deployed multiple troop types to the African continent. In May 2024, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi and Chinese President Xi Jinping met in Beijing to mark the 10th anniversary of their comprehensive strategic partnership. The leaders declared 2024 the "Egypt-China Partnership Year,” signing bilateral agreements on the Belt and Road Initiative, technology, and industrial localization.
