Egypt’s president Abdel Fattah El Sisi is on an official two-day trip to China to meet with President Xi Jinping and the Premier, Li Keqiang, where a comprehensive strategic partnership is expected to be announced. El Sisi plans to focus on business, investment, and military co-operation. CCTV America’s Adel El Mahrouky reported this story from Cairo.

China and Egypt’s relationship has stretched over thousands of years. Under former president Hosni Mubarak, Egypt aligned itself with the United States but since Mubarak’s ousting in 2011, Cairo has been looking east.

“Egypt is improving its foreign policy and dividing it, stressing that Egypt is an open hand and an open heart for all, its partners,” Gamal Bayoumi, former assistant to Minister of foreign affairs said. “China is a big partner. In our recent history, Egypt was one of the first countries that recognized the People’s Republic of China since 1956.”

Former Egyptian Prime Minister Essam Sharaf, who led the first cabinet after Mubarak stepped down, said he admires China’s development model.

“I have been to China several times since 2005 as a transportation minister. Any observer then, must have known that China is a rising power, a country going through remarkable renaissance. So we must have deepened our cooperation. China is an example of success, we must study and learn from that,” Sharaf said.

Trade between the countries reached $10.3 billion in 2013 and is expected to increase 10 percent by the end of 2014. Sharaf said there are numerous ways for the countries work together cooperatively.

“Economic cooperation and social blending, including cultural exchange, and environmental challenges, whether it’s battling pollution, seeking renewable energy sources,” Sharaf said. “These are the foundation, endless application could be built on that. Military applications, infrastructure, agriculture, industrial development, all of this automatically follows.”