On November 13, Wang Xiaohui, Secretary of the CPC Sichuan Provincial Committee and Chairman of the Standing Committee of Sichuan Provincial People's Congress, met with a delegation led by Manal Awad, Egyptian Minister of Local Development, in Chengdu.

During the meeting, Wang Xiaohui welcomed Manal Awad and the delegation for their visit to Sichuan and their attendance at the 2024 Sichuan International Friendship Cities Cooperation and Development Conference. He also provided a brief overview of Sichuan's economic and social development. He noted that Sichuan, located at the geometric center of the Eurasian continent, has become a frontier gateway and key hub for China's opening up to the west, thanks to the in-depth and substantiated implementation of national strategies such as the Belt and Road Initiative and the construction of the Chengdu-Chongqing Economic Circle. The province is accelerating the development of a strategic highland for opening up to the west and a new base for participating in international competition. Egypt is an important partner for the province in Africa and the Arab region. We will earnestly implement the important consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries, continuously strengthen the mutually beneficial cooperation between Sichuan and Egypt in various fields, deeply tap the potential for cooperation in traditional areas, and actively expand our collaboration in emerging fields, aiming to jointly contribute to building a China-Egypt community with a shared future in the new era. It is hoped that Minister Awad will use this visit to Sichuan as an opportunity to encourage more Egyptian local governments to form friendship city ties with Sichuan at various levels, support both sides in deepening and expanding economic, trade, and investment cooperation, as well as fostering exchanges and interactions in such fields as culture, tourism, education, science and technology, and medical health, and continuously enhance mutual understanding and the profound friendship shared by the people of the two places.

Minister Awad stated that China is Egypt's most sincere friend. Particularly since the establishment of the comprehensive strategic partnership between Egypt and China, bilateral relations have flourished, and the fruits of cooperation have been abundant. Sichuan, as a major province in China's western region, has made impressive achievements in economic development, and its progress is characterized by immense dynamism and vitality, offering extremely promising prospects. We are willing to build on the existing foundation of cooperation, further strengthen the mutually beneficial cooperation and friendly exchanges between Egypt and Sichuan, and promote more practical outcomes.

Provincial leaders Chen Wei and Pubu Dunchu, officials from the Ministry of Local Development and relevant local governments of Egypt, and leading officials from relevant provincial departments, among others, attended the meeting.