Egypt's president to visit China and Iran this month

President Mohamed Morsi is to visit China 27 August for a three-day visit in which he will meet with Chinese President Hiu Jinato, as reported by the Egyptian president's official Facebook page. The scheduled visit comes upon the invitation of the Chinese president. The two leaders plan to discuss crucial issues facing the Arab world, such as the Syrian situation and the Palestinian question. The two presidents will also discuss ways of enhancing commercial exchange between their respective countries, in addition to increasing Chinese investment in Egypt. Following his visit to China, Morsi will head — according to state news agency MENA — to Iran 30 August to attend a summit, making the first visit of an Egyptian president to Tehran for more than 30 years. The two visits may mark changes in Egypt's foreign policy, given that both powerful countries have tense relations with the United States, to whom Egypt has been a loyal ally, especially under the rule of ousted president Hosni Mubarak. From ahramonline