Xi arrives in Cairo for state visit to Egypt

Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in Cairo by special plane Tuesday evening to pay a state visit to Egypt at the invitation of President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi.

Xi's trip marks his first state visit to the country in a decade, and coincides with the 70th anniversary of bilateral diplomatic relationship.

Sisi and his wife welcomed Xi and his wife, Peng Liyuan, at the Cairo International Airport.

Guards of honor lined up on both sides of a red carpet to salute Xi, and local teenagers waved the national flags of China and Egypt to warmly welcome Xi's visit.

Xi delivered a written speech, extending sincere greetings and best wishes to the Egyptian government and the Egyptian people on behalf of the Chinese government and the Chinese people.

China and Egypt are both ancient civilizations, with a traditional friendship that has endured for thousands of years and stood the test of time, Xi said.

Over the past 70 years since the establishment of diplomatic relations, Xi said, the two countries have stood by each other and pursued win-win cooperation, regardless of changes in the international and regional situations.

Noting that in recent years, the two heads of state have jointly led the China-Egypt comprehensive strategic partnership to achieve leapfrog development, Xi said that during the visit, he will have an in-depth exchange of views with Sisi on China-Egypt relations, all-round cooperation between the two countries, and international and regional issues of common concern.

The two leaders will also jointly draw up a blueprint for the development of the China-Egypt comprehensive strategic partnership, and write a new chapter in the friendship between the two countries, Xi said.

Cai Qi, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and director of the General Office of the CPC Central Committee, and Wang Yi, a member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Chinese foreign minister, and other members of the entourage arrived on the same plane.

Xi arrives in Cairo for state visit to Egypt

Xi arrives in Cairo for state visit to Egypt

The death toll from the devastating mudslide in Nepal had risen to 1,093 as of 20:00 local time Tuesday, according to the latest figures released by the Nepal Police.

The disaster struck northern Nepal on Aug 26. The Nepalese government declared the region a disaster crisis zone for at least three months to facilitate resource deployment, strengthen personnel management, and accelerate post-disaster recovery efforts.

On Monday, a China Media Group (CMG) reporter flew by helicopter over the center of the devastation caused by the mudslide on the Nepalese side of the Gyirong-Rasuwa border crossing on the China-Nepal border.

Aerial footage shows that several villages and towns on the Nepalese side of Gyirong-Rasuwa Port had been wiped out, with numerous transit vehicles and buildings sunk deep in the mud. The reporter said that in the once-bustling town of Syabrubesi, less than 10 kilometers in a straight line from the port, the only people that could be seen were search and rescue personnel.

According to preliminary estimates, around 250 to 300 residential buildings in the town were destroyed by the mudslide, while in Betrawati, 40 kilometers from the port, some 300 houses were also damaged.

Nepal mudslide death toll rises to 1,093