china in a changing world

Kemet Boutros-Ghali Foundation for Peace and Knowledge, in cooperation with the Egyptian Council for Foreign Affairs, organized a symposium this Tuesday entitled "China in a Changing World" to shed light on China's role in a global context of development and challenges. In attendance were Mr. Mamdouh Abbas, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Foundation, Ambassador Mohamed El Orabi, President of the Egyptian Council for Foreign Affairs, renowned political Thinker Dr. Moustafa El Feki, and Dr. Abdel Moneim El-Said, former director of al-Ahram Center for Political and Strategic Studies in Cairo. Among those invited to speak and contribute to the symposium were Ambassador Hisham EL-Zimaity, board member of the Foundation and Secretary General of the Egyptian Council for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Ali Al-Hafni, former Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs for African Affairs and former ambassador of Egypt to China, Ambassador Magdy Amer, former ambassador of Egypt to China, Ambassador Ezzat Saad, Executive Director of the Egyptian Council for Foreign Affairs, and Dr. Ebtisam Ali, an esteemed professor at the Faculty of Economics and Political Science at New Giza University.

The symposium discussed the changes observed in China's foreign policy, as its activity has been focusing more and more on development and economic competition with major industrialized countries. China has also become more involved on the international scene, as in handling the aftermath of the war in Ukraine and the resulting global polarization that followed suit. It has been exerting a growing influence on the world balance of power, as demonstrated by its threat to use military force to prevent Taiwan's independence.

The symposium also explored China's relations with the Arab States in general and its different interactions with them, which was clearly reflected in the role it played in achieving Saudi-Iranian reconciliation. The symposium concluded by hailing the level of Egyptian Chinese relations, spanning over 70 years, pointing out that the trade exchange between the two countries hit 20 billion dollars last year, and exploring how to further these relations for the benefit of both countries.