HOW CHINA UNDERWRITES EGYPT: CHINA'S ONE-BELT-ONE-ROAD HITS THE MIDDLE EAST AUTOCRATS

Will There Be a New Russian-Chinese Security Architecture in the Gulf?
By Dr. James M. Dorsey, September 13, 2019
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: Russia, backed by China, is hoping to exploit mounting doubts in the Persian Gulf about the reliability of the US as the region’s sole security guarantor. It is proposing a radical overhaul of the security architecture in the area, which is home to massive oil and gas reserves and some of the world’s most strategic waterways.
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Egypt sentences Muslim Brotherhood spiritual leader to life in prison  
Egypt on Wednesday handed down prison sentences against leaders of the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood, charging them with spying for foreign organizations and financing terrorism. The court sentenced 11 people, including Muslim Brotherhood spiritual guide Mohammed Badie, to life in prison. Five others received jail terms ranging from seven to 10 years. Egyptian authorities have been leading a crackdown against thousands of Muslim Brotherhood supporters since the ouster of the late President Mohammed Morsi in 2013.   Read More  
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Haisam Hassanein writes: China has become an essential component of Sisi’s agenda at home and abroad. Without its financing and expertise, showpiece projects like the new administrative capital and a new Suez Canal industrial zone are unlikely to get off the ground. In return, China wants to take advantage of Egypt’s position in the Arab world and Africa to facilitate bilateral and collective cooperation in both regions, including on projects that further the BRI. All of this should worry the United States, especially since China could use its access to Egyptian ports to improve its standing in the Middle East and potentially gather intelligence on U.S. interests, similar to Washington’s concerns about Israel’s Haifa port. – Washington Institute

Michael Bennon writes: At this year’s BRI forum, Chinese officials stated that they would push for more transparency in BRI projects. This is laudable. But transparency in international finance should not be subject only to the bilateral policies of lending nations. It should also be enforced by international institutions, like the IMF. The IMF did miss an opportunity in Pakistan this summer, but it wasn’t to prevent or ring-fence a bailout. The IMF should have simply required transparency in the form of published contracts as a precondition for IMF support. – Center for Strategic and International Studies

​Egypt seeks to increase exports to Africa
 Despite figures indicating an increase in the Egyptian exports to Africa, there still seem to be several obstacles facing Egyptian exports to the continent.