Recently, news about Egypt's intention to buy Chinese J-10C fighter jets has been widely circulated, but it has not been officially announced yet.
According to the South China Morning Post, a well-known international media in Hong Kong, this news has attracted wide attention from international analysts, because it not only represents the upgrading of Egypt's armaments, but also indicates a new trend in military procurement by Middle Eastern countries.
Some observers have pointed out that because Western countries headed by United States always like to impose some "illusory" constraints and rules on the export of technology and equipment, they also like to impose sanctions at every turn, and they do not pay attention to the spirit of contract at all.
For this reason, many Middle Eastern countries want to get rid of their technological dependence on the West, and China's weapons and equipment give them such an opportunity, after all, China is more generous in technology exports, and at the same purchase price, China's weapons and equipment have better performance and a higher degree of modernization, so why not buy them?
Egypt looks at the J-10C
According to the Bulgaria military news portal, the Ministry of Defense of Egypt placed its first order for the purchase of China's J-10C fourth-generation semi-fighter on August 19. Although the official announcement has not yet been made, if the news is true, Egypt will become the second overseas country after Pakistan to equip the J-10 series fighters.
Earlier this month, at the first Egypt International Air Show, China showcased the J-10C fighter jet for the first time in Africa. The fighter, which entered service in 2018, is equipped with a WS-10B engine developed by China. Many people compare it to the United States F-16 fighters, which excel both in air combat capabilities and in strike missions.
The Egypt Air Force has been armed with United States F-16 fighters since the 80s of the last century. However, restrictions on the sale of weapons to Egypt United States on the grounds of human rights concerns have led to the gradual backwardness of the F-16 fighters in Egypt in terms of combat capabilities. While United States has proposed upgrading Egypt's F-16 to F-16V, Egypt seems to prefer to buy the J-10C, which has better performance and a similar price.
In recent years, Egypt has sought to diversify its fighter jet purchases. In addition to United States fighters, Egypt also purchased Rafale fighters from France and MiG-29M fighters from Russia. Today, Egypt has set its sights on China, hoping to reduce its dependence on a single country by diversifying its purchases.
Not only Egypt, but other Middle Eastern countries such as the U.A.E. and Saudi Arabia are also seeking to diversify their arms purchases. They want to reduce their dependence on United States and Europe and look for partners who are not constrained by political conditions. China, with its advanced and competitive military technology, has become an ideal choice for these countries.
Egypt's recent accession to the Chinese-led BRICS organization has further strengthened cooperation between the two countries at the economic and strategic levels. As China's influence in the Middle East grows, more countries may choose to deepen military and economic cooperation with China in the future.
From Egypt's point of view, the purchase of the J-10C can not only obtain advanced fighters at a reasonable price, but also avoid political interference in arms sales by Western countries. For China, this is not only an export of military equipment, but also an opportunity to increase its influence in the Middle East.
The news of Egypt's intention to buy Chinese J-10C fighters may be just the beginning of deepening cooperation between the two countries. As Middle Eastern countries shift their arms procurement strategies, China's influence in the region is expected to increase even further. We will wait and see that there will be more cooperation and development in the future.
The strategic considerations behind Egypt's arms purchases
The Middle East has always been the focus of global geopolitics, with many major powers wrestling here. As an important country in the Middle East and North Africa, Egypt's military procurement trends often reflect deeper political and strategic changes in the region. Egypt's intention to buy Chinese J-10C fighters this time happened against this background.
For a long time, Egypt military equipment relied mainly on United States and Western countries. However, over-reliance on the supply of armaments from a single country is susceptible to political constraints. United States has imposed restrictions on arms sales in Egypt on the grounds of human rights and other issues, resulting in obstacles to Egypt's defense modernization.
In order to ensure national security and strategic autonomy, Egypt has chosen a diversified arms procurement strategy. From France's Rafale fighters, to Russia's MiG-29M, and now China's J-10C, Egypt is actively expanding its military partners. Such diversification would not only allow access to more advanced military technology, but also increase one's bargaining chips in the international arena.
China's military industry has made significant progress in recent years. The fighter represented by the J-10C not only has advanced performance, but also has a relatively reasonable price. This makes China's military equipment highly competitive in the international market.
For a developing country like Egypt, both advanced military equipment is needed and the budget is taken into account. China's armament meets exactly what they need. At the same time, China has few political conditions for arms sales, which is also an important factor in attracting Middle Eastern countries.
Egypt recently joined the BRICS, an economic cooperation platform of emerging market countries. By joining BRICS, Egypt hopes to deepen economic cooperation with China and other countries and gain more development opportunities.
The strengthening of economic cooperation will inevitably lead to cooperation in the strategic and military fields. While China is helping Egypt develop infrastructure, energy and other fields, the deepening of military cooperation is also a matter of course. This all-round cooperation will help Egypt enhance its international status and influence.
As China's influence in the Middle East grows, United States needs to re-examine its Middle East policy. For a long time, when dealing with its allies, the United States has often taken its own interests as the starting point and interfered in the internal affairs of other countries. This practice gradually aroused discontent in the countries of the Middle East.
Egypt's choice to deepen cooperation with China is a response to United States policy. If the United States wants to maintain its influence in the Middle East, it may need to make policy adjustments to be more respectful of the sovereignty and interests of other countries.
Egypt's cooperation with China has broad prospects. The two sides have great potential for cooperation in the economic, military, and cultural fields. For China, Egypt is an important node in the Belt and Road Initiative, and through cooperation with Egypt, the implementation of the initiative in the Middle East and Africa can be further promoted.
For Egypt, cooperation with China can obtain advanced technology and financial support to accelerate its own development. Mutual benefit and win-win results between the two sides will contribute to regional stability and prosperity.
A little summary
Egypt's intention to buy Chinese fighters reflects a new trend in the global arms market. With the progress of military technology in China, Russia and other countries, Western countries are no longer the only suppliers of advanced weapons. Countries will have more options in arms procurement, which will break the monopoly of a few countries in the past.
Such changes will help to promote competition in the arms market, reduce the price of weapons and raise the level of technology. At the same time, it also helps to reduce political interference in the military sphere, allowing countries to make decisions independently according to their own needs and interests.
Egypt's intention to purchase China's J-10C fighter is not only an ordinary arms purchase transaction, but also a microcosm of the geopolitics in the Middle East and changes in the global arms market pattern. In a multipolar international environment, it is an inevitable choice for countries to seek diversified cooperation and get rid of their dependence on a single country.
With its advanced technology, reasonable prices, and the principle of non-interference in the internal affairs of other countries, China is becoming a partner of more and more countries. This mode of cooperation will help promote the healthy development of international relations and achieve the goal of win-win cooperation.
In the future, we have reason to believe that the cooperation between China and Egypt, as well as between China and other Middle Eastern countries, will be deeper and more extensive. This will not only conform to the interests of both sides, but will also make a positive contribution to regional and global peace and development.