Executive Summary

The historic “Eagles of Civilisation 2025” joint air force exercise between Egypt and China, held in Egypt from mid-April to early May 2025, signifies a notable shift in Egypt’s strategic posture and a steady expansion of China’s military diplomacy. This exercise marks the first ever bilateral drill between the two nations’ air forces and reflects Egypt’s deliberate effort to diversify its military partnerships beyond traditional Western and Russian suppliers, particularly amidst human rights concerns and the war in Ukraine. Moreover, this strategic and novel collaboration highlights China’s growing presence and ambition as a defence provider in the Middle East and Africa. Such an exercise–involving advanced Chinese platforms like the J-10C fighters, YU-20 refuelling aircraft, and KJ-500 AEW&C–has elicited concern from Israeli defence officials and is viewed by analysts as a signal to the US, underscoring evolving regional security dynamics.

Images Sourced From: CCTV Military Channel