How Lt. Gen. Ashraf Zaher aims to bridge Egyptian military education with China

Official Chinese military and defense websites view the appointment of the new Egyptian Minister of Defense, Lieutenant General Ashraf Salem Zaher, in reports covering Chinese military affairs as the “architect of a scientific revolution” within the Egyptian army. This aligns with China’s desire to strengthen high-level technological and research cooperation with Egypt. The new Egyptian Defense Minister’s relationship with China is moving beyond simply “purchasing Chinese weapons” to deep manufacturing and training partnerships aimed at localizing military technology in Egypt.

The ministerial changes in Egypt coincided with the 70th anniversary of Egyptian-Chinese diplomatic relations in February 2026, which focuses on enhancing digital and technological cooperation, in addition to military aspects. The Chinese Ministry of National Defense, the People’s Liberation Army (PLA), and the PLA National Defense University view the appointment of the new Egyptian military leadership and the newly appointed Minister of Defense, Lieutenant General Ashraf Salem Zaher, as a step towards completing the “golden partnership” between Egypt and China. This partnership includes diversifying arms sources and localizing Chinese military technology in Cairo, in accordance with the wishes of President “Abdel Fattah El-Sisi”. The joint manufacturing project for the K-8E drone by the Arab Organization for Industrialization in Egypt is one of the most prominent military cooperation programs between the two countries.

Furthermore, the military has revealed the development of the first Egyptian military drone, produced in cooperation with China, with a local component of up to 85%. It is expected to be operational by 2026. In addition, advanced Chinese weapons systems are entering service in Cairo, such as the HQ-9B long-range air defense system, which is entering service with the Egyptian army as an alternative or complement to Western systems.  With the Egyptian military’s interest in modern Chinese fighter jets, there is ongoing Egyptian military interest in negotiating the acquisition of advanced Chinese stealth fighters, such as the J-10C & J-35, as potential military alternatives for Egypt in light of the current international balance of power. This comes amidst growing Chinese interest in the anticipated role of the new Egyptian Minister of Defense, given his primarily military academic background, in cooperating with China on the training and education of future Egyptian military personnel and elites. The People’s Liberation Army National Defense University (PLAU) is working to build long-term relationships with Egyptian military leaders of the rank of colonel and above through educational programs and military exchange delegations to enhance joint military expertise.

This is the same as what the latest report of the Chinese website “China Daily” called for in a report published on Wednesday, February 11, 2026, on the occasion of the celebration of the seventieth anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Egypt and China, which opens new horizons for cooperation that include digital cooperation and artificial intelligence, by calling for the establishment of “digital data incubators and a shared computer infrastructure” that would enable Egypt and all countries of the Middle East, North Africa, and the Global South to benefit from China’s advanced computing capabilities while fully complying with local data establishment laws. The joint military cooperation between Egypt and China also includes a shared interest in the field of satellites and space science. This is confirmed by reports from the Egyptian National Authority for Remote Sensing and Space Sciences, which indicate that a cooperation agreement was signed between the Authority and the China National Space Administration in the field of space science and remote sensing. The agreement aims to maximize Egypt’s benefit from China’s capabilities in remote sensing and space science, satellite manufacturing, ground station construction, data processing, and the infrastructure necessary to localize the Chinese space industry in Egypt. This will serve sustainable development projects and Egypt’s Vision 2030 in cooperation with China.

Therefore, the appointment of Lieutenant General Ashraf Salem Zaher as Minister of Defense and Military Production in Egypt on February 11, 2026, succeeding Lieutenant General Abdel-Magid Saqr, attracted the attention of Chinese military and research circles. China views this appointment as a strategic opportunity to deepen “military education diplomacy with Egypt” and technological partnership, especially considering Lieutenant General Zaher’s background as the former Director of the Egyptian Military Academy. China’s vision for the role of the new Egyptian Minister of Defense is based on the following pillars: developing curricula and military education and cooperating with Chinese military academies to build Egypt’s future military elite through the China National Defense University (PLA NDU): This involves building long-term relationships with Egyptian military leaders through the new Egyptian Minister of Defense, Lieutenant General Ashraf Salem Zaher, to exchange new strategic and military thinking with China. Chinese military and research circles expect Lieutenant General Ashraf Zaher to play a pivotal role in this area, given his previous academic experience, which will facilitate the integration of advanced educational curricula and joint training programs. Furthermore, the expected role of the new Egyptian Minister of Defense in exchanging military academic expertise with China: Cooperation protocols have already been initiated between Egyptian military entities, the Egyptian-Chinese University, and military academies in China to exchange expertise and train young personnel according to the latest scientific and research methodologies.

The Chinese Ministry of Defense anticipates that the appointment of the new Egyptian Minister of Defense will lead to an increase in military partnerships, agreements, and new scientific and research cooperation protocols with Egypt, in line with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi’s vision of transferring and localizing Chinese military technology in Egypt. The Chinese vision for 2026 focuses on moving beyond simply selling weapons to Egypt to establishing industrial and research partnerships. This includes negotiations on transferring Chinese technology for manufacturing radars and long-range air defense systems to Egypt. Furthermore, China’s vision for localizing defense industries in Egypt aims to support Egypt in building a military manufacturing base in Cairo. This is a priority for the new Egyptian Minister of Defense within the Ministry of Military Production, which is also a priority for China in its efforts to develop manufacturing and armament within the Egyptian army. Egypt and China have longstanding relations in the field of armament, including the acquisition of naval vessels and the development of missile systems. These relations have recently evolved to include discussions on deeper partnerships in defense manufacturing. During visits by Egyptian military and defense delegations to China, they were briefed on the latest Chinese weaponry with the aim of reaching agreements to acquire various types of equipment, particularly in air defense and missile systems. This also included advancing cooperation in joint manufacturing and training, thereby strengthening defense cooperation between the two countries and bolstering bilateral military relations.

Chinese military, defense, and security circles anticipate expanding the horizons of strategic military cooperation with the Egyptian Ministry of Defense under the leadership of the new Egyptian Minister of Defense, Ashraf Zaher. The Chinese Ministry of Defense considers military relations with Egypt in 2026 a model of strategic partnership between countries of the Global South. From a Chinese military perspective, Zaher’s tenure is expected to witness an increase in joint military exercises between Egypt and China. China anticipates the completion and expansion of joint air exercises, such as the “Civilization Eagles” exercises scheduled for April-May 2025, which aim to unify combat concepts between Egypt and China.  China also anticipates more intensive training opportunities with the Egyptian Ministry of Defense and Egyptian military academies. This is especially relevant given that China has already signed a memorandum of understanding with Egypt (providing 2,000 training opportunities for Egyptian professionals) between 2025 and 2027, encompassing institutional capacity building and knowledge exchange. Furthermore, China expects continued technological deals with its Egyptian counterpart through ongoing discussions between Egypt and China regarding advanced defense systems, including Type 039A submarines and modern missiles.

For this reason, relevant circles in China view the appointment of Lieutenant General Ashraf Salem Zaher as Minister of Defense and Military Production on February 11, 2026, as a strategic step to enhance the qualitative transformation of the Egyptian military establishment, particularly in the area of ​​“military education diplomacy.” As the former director of the Egyptian Military Academy, Lieutenant General Zaher possesses direct experience in curriculum development and training systems, which aligns with China’s ambitious vision of building a “joint military elite” with Egypt. As an Egyptian expert on Chinese politics and the policies of the ruling Communist Party of China, I can offer an analysis of China’s perspective on the expected role of the new minister in this context and understand the general framework of China’s view of the appointment of Lieutenant General Ashraf Zaher as the new Minister of Defense in Egypt. China views Lieutenant General Zaher as a military leader who witnessed major transformations in the Egyptian training system and is known as the “architect of the scientific revolution” in the army. Beijing welcomes this appointment for several reasons, the most important of which is the academic background of the new Egyptian Minister of Defense: as a former director of the Military Academy, he can easily understand and implement the academic exchange programs promoted by the Chinese National Defense University (PLA NDU).

This is in addition to the strategic and military alignment between the new Egyptian Minister of Defense and China: China seeks to present an alternative “defense doctrine” based on digital transformation and information technology, an approach that aligns with the development efforts previously led by Lieutenant General Zaher. With China’s current growing interest in a new academic-military partnership model with the Egyptian army, the Chinese Ministry of Defense views relations with Egypt in 2026 as a model of strategic partnership encompassing advanced technological and field coordination.

Regarding the expected role of the new Egyptian Minister of Defense, Lieutenant General Ashraf Salem Zaher, in developing military education diplomacy with China and the Chinese Ministry of Defense, it is anticipated that Lieutenant General Zaher will lead a new phase of educational cooperation with China. This includes building a joint military elite through collaboration with the Chinese National Defense University to train Egyptian leaders (of the rank of colonel and above) through programs focused on Chinese strategic thinking as an alternative or complement to Western schools. It also includes developing military curricula by integrating advanced Chinese military technology concepts into the curricula of Egyptian military colleges, with an emphasis on “military education diplomacy” as a soft power tool. Furthermore, it involves exchanging military faculty members between Egypt and China by activating programs to host faculty members from the Nasser Higher Military Academy for Strategic Studies in China to discuss regional security issues from a shared perspective. Finally, it includes joint theoretical exercises between Egypt and China by expanding the exercises that began with the “Eagles of Civilization 2025” exercise between Egypt and China, which includes lectures to unify combat concepts and joint operations planning.

Here, the Chinese Ministry of Defense and the Chinese National Defense Academy of the People’s Liberation Army anticipate that cooperation will expand in 2026 under the new Egyptian Minister of Defense, Lieutenant General Ashraf Salem Zaher, to encompass other mechanisms and fields. Chinese military reports from February 2026 indicate that military cooperation between Egypt and China will not be limited to education alone but will extend to include local manufacturing through the localization of Chinese defense systems technology, such as air defense systems and Type 039A submarines. This extends to include academic protocols through strengthening the protocols signed between the Engineering Authority of the Armed Forces, the Egyptian-Chinese University, and military academies in China to train young Egyptian military, defense, and security personnel on the latest modern, digital, and technological Chinese advancements.