Chinese President Xi Jinping is set to arrive in Egypt on Sept. 1, making a rare trip to the Middle East as both countries face the threat of U.S. sanctions over financial links to Iran.

Chinese president’s visit comes amid expanding Suez investment and joint air force exercises.

Egyptian and Chinese banks could be hit by Washington's boosted sanctions regime; Beijing seeking to prop up relations with US-friendly nations ahead of Xi-Trump meeting

Both China and Egypt support an independent Palestinian state as part of a two-state solution.