Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in Egypt on Tuesday for a two-day visit to the Middle East. ^[1] The visit comes as both China and Egypt face the threat of US sanctions over financial links to Iran. ^[2] The United States and Israel jointly launched strikes against Iran on February 28, initiating a months-long Middle East war. ^[3] Washington announced it would cut off the operations of Egypt's Banque Misr in the UAE from the US financial system as part of its economic pressure campaign against Iran. ^[4] Washington vowed to destabilize Tehran economically by warning of expanded sanctions against Tehran's backers and partners, including Egyptian and Chinese banks. ^[5]