The forum was attended by Chen Weiqing, Mayor of Shenzhen Province of China, Liao Liqiang, Chinese Ambassador to Egypt, Counselor Ahmed Badr, Deputy Director of the Investment Affairs Department and Minister Plenipotentiary for Trade at the Ministry of Investment and Foreign Trade, Akram Al-Shafei, Vice President of the Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Chairman of the Ismailia Chamber of Commerce, as well as many representatives of government ministries, businessmen and investors from both Egyptian and Chinese sides.
Dr. Ahmed El-Sobky stressed that this event represents
a milestone in the economic relations between Egypt and China, saying,
"Today we celebrate more than ten years since the elevation of
Egyptian-Chinese relations to a strategic partnership. Today, the government is
reaping the fruits of this partnership, the foundations of which were laid by
President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi and his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping.
Diplomacy in both countries is also working to create a joint development
framework that reflects the ambitions and aspirations of both peoples, and we are
now seeing the results of this fruitful cooperation."
He added, "We signed a cooperation agreement with
the Chinese Snibe Group, a leader in laboratory diagnostics and medical
analysis, with the aim of establishing integrated diagnostic complexes with
Chinese investments and transferring technology to Egypt in this vital field on
Monday." He continued,
"We already have the fruits of advanced cooperation with major Chinese
companies, including the signing of cooperation protocols and memorandum of
understanding (MoU) with Mindray and Huawei, and we expect our cooperation with
them to double in the coming period."
El-Sobky also noted that his two previous visits to the
People's Republic of China resulted in exploring opportunities for cooperation
in the field of biotechnology, expressing his hope for Egypt to become a
regional center and hub for this industry and advanced biomedical technologies.
He added, "In light of this openness and sincere
desire for cooperation on both sides, there is promising Egyptian-Chinese
cooperation to transfer Chinese expertise in the field of hospital construction
according to the highest international standards, as well as to introduce the
smart medical city model, similar to the headquarters of the Chinese company
Huawei."
He concluded his speech by addressing investors,
saying, "I invite them to visit Shenzhen, as the Mayor of Shenzhen did, to
exchange experiences, strengthen relations, and benefit from the political
climate that unites the two countries. He emphasized that China is one of
Egypt's most important strategic partners in economic cooperation in the Middle
East and Africa region." He continued, "We must build on these assets
and utilize them optimally in the near future."
Dr. Ahmed El-Sobky, along with the Mayor of Shenzhen
and the Chinese Ambassador, witnessed the signing of several cooperation
protocols and MoU, most notably the MoU between the General Authority for
Healthcare and Shenzhen New Industries Biomedical Engineering (Snibe), a
company specializing in laboratory diagnostic technologies.
The MoU aims to establish technical and institutional
cooperation through the implementation of specialized training programs,
workshops and field visits, which will contribute to the transfer of advanced
Chinese expertise to the health cadres working in the Authority's facilities in
the governorates of the implementation of the comprehensive health insurance
system. It was signed on behalf of the Authority by Dr. Amir Al-Talwany,
Executive Director of the General Authority for Healthcare, and on behalf of
the Chinese company by Dr. Lucy Liu, Vice President of Snibe.
Weiqing praised Egypt's continued support and its
commitment to creating an attractive investment climate. He expressed his pride
in visiting Egypt and called for expanding the horizons of the economic
partnership between the two countries.
Liqiang stressed that relations between the two countries have been strengthening since dawn on Monday, noting that cooperation in the healthcare sector embodies the two countries' commitment to the well-being of their peoples and building a more advanced future. He affirmed the continuation of cooperation with the Healthcare Authority to strengthen partnerships in the medical sector, serving the future of the peoples of both countries.