President Hu meets President Mursi

(Beijing) – Egyptian President, Mursi who took office in June as Egypt’s first freely elected civilian president, was welcomed by Chinese President, Hu Jintao at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing at the start of his two-day trip. Since becoming President, this is Mursi’s first state visit outside the Middle East and Africa that underscores China’s importance as one of five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council and as a vital source of trade and investment. The visit is also seen as part of a reorientation of Egyptian foreign policy away from a heavy focus on Washington.
“Mr. President has chosen China as one of his first countries to visit and this fully shows that your country attaches great importance to the desire to develop relations with China,” Hu said after a welcoming ceremony. Mursi is accompanied by a delegation of 80 Egyptian business leaders who planned to discuss investment projects with 200 Chinese counterparts.