The roar of Chinese fighter jets above Egypt’s iconic pyramids sent a powerful message across the Middle East and beyond this week, as Cairo and Beijing concluded their first-ever joint air force exercises. Dubbed “Eagles of Civilisation 2025,” the 18-day drill signals a bold shift in Egypt’s military alliances and China’s expanding influence in North Africa.
The historic training exercises, held at an Egyptian air base, involved multi-role fighter jets, early warning aircraft, helicopters, aerial tankers and transport planes from both the Egyptian Air Force and China’s People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF). The drills covered advanced air combat operations including air superiority missions, suppressive air defence, battlefield search and rescue, and precision strike simulations.
Egyptian Air Force Commander Vice Air Marshal Mahmoud Fouad Abdel-Gawad and the Chief of Staff of the Chinese Air Force attended the event, alongside senior military officials and the Chinese ambassador to Cairo.
Strategic Realignment in North Africa
The joint exercises, which included low-altitude flyovers of the Pyramids, mark the first time the PLAAF has deployed a systematic force to Africa for such training. Chinese media heralded it as a “new starting point” in Sino-Egyptian military cooperation, reflecting Cairo’s gradual pivot away from long-standing Western military dependence.
In a statement, the PLA Air Force said the drill “demonstrates China’s capability for long-range projection and agile deployment” and lays the foundation for “future high-level military collaboration.”
Egypt, a strategic U.S. ally since the 1970s and a neighbour to Israel, appears to be recalibrating its foreign policy posture. The country is ringed by instability: war in Gaza to the northeast, civil conflict in Sudan to the south, and persistent turmoil in Libya to the west. Amid these threats, Cairo is diversifying its defence partnerships—China now being a major stakeholder.
Egypt Asserts Sovereignty
Egyptian state media characterised the drill as a declaration of sovereignty. A widely circulated editorial in Daily News Egypt stated:
“For decades, Egypt has been told what weapons it may possess, how it may defend itself, and what threats it should prioritise—dictated by Washington’s rigid commitment to maintaining Israel’s military supremacy. These drills were not just military exercises; they were a declaration: Egypt will no longer be a second-tier ally in its own region.”
The PLA’s YU-20 aerial tanker was seen refuelling Egyptian MiG-29 jets mid-air, showcasing operational interoperability between the two forces. Other Chinese aircraft included the J-10C fighter, Z-20 helicopter, KJ-500 early warning aircraft, and the Y-20 heavy transport plane.
According to Wang Ya’nan, Editor-in-Chief of Aerospace Knowledge magazine, the drill highlights both China’s capacity to project power into Africa and its strategic approach to deepening ties with regional powers through military diplomacy.
Implications for U.S. Influence
Egypt’s growing ties with China could strain its long-standing relationship with the United States, which has already seen significant foreign aid cuts under President Donald Trump. While the U.S. remains a key security partner for countries across the Middle East, its inward pivot has created space for China’s strategic manoeuvring.
“The flyover above the pyramids wasn’t just symbolic—it was a strategic broadcast of a new era,” said Eric Olander, co-founder of the China-Global South Project. “It’s a soft entry point for China to offer defence systems—drones, SAMs, light arms—and build long-term influence.”
Washington may yet respond by reassessing its military aid to Cairo, especially if Egypt increases procurement of Chinese defence technologies.
Regional Ramifications
Beijing’s growing military footprint in the Middle East is raising eyebrows in capitals from Washington to Tehran. China has already participated in joint naval drills with Iran and Russia, strengthened economic ties with Gulf countries, and used multilateral platforms like BRICS and the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) to widen its influence.
For Egypt, cooperation with China also sends a message to other powers: it will chart its own path amid a complex and shifting regional order.
“As we fly in formation over the Pyramids, our friendship will continue to flow long and strong like the Nile,” said PLAAF pilot Li Bokuan, reflecting the historic nature of the exercise.
With its geostrategic location, military capacity, and diplomatic leverage, Egypt is poised to play a central role in shaping the next chapter of security alignments in the Middle East and Africa.
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