Chinese Consul General in Alexandria Yang Yi (L), Egyptian Minister of Tourism and Antiquities Sherif Fathy (C) and Secretary-general of the Egypt's Supreme Council of Antiquities Mohamed Ismail Khaled (R) attend a signing ceremony in Alexandria, Egypt, on Aug. 21, 2025. China and Egypt have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to cooperate on maritime archaeology and the protection of underwater cultural heritage. (Photo by Ahmed Gomaa/Xinhua)

ALEXANDRIA, Egypt, Aug. 22 (Xinhua) -- China and Egypt have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to cooperate on maritime archaeology and the protection of underwater cultural heritage.

The agreement was signed on Thursday at the Bibliotheca Alexandrina between China's National Center for Archaeology, under the National Cultural Heritage Administration, and Egypt's Supreme Council of Antiquities (SCA).

The two countries will set up a joint center in Alexandria for maritime archaeology and underwater heritage, said Chinese Consul General in Alexandria Yang Yi, adding that the cooperation would strengthen ties between the two peoples, deepen the China-Egypt strategic partnership, and support the building of a "shared future" between the countries.

Mohamed Ismail Khaled, secretary-general of the SCA, said Egypt would benefit from China's expertise and technology in maritime exploration, excavation, and heritage protection.

The MoU covers joint research projects, scientific events, information exchange and training programs for archaeologists and restorers, according to Khaled.

China and Egypt have increased archaeological cooperation in recent years. In 2018, China's first archaeological team in Egypt began work at the Montu Temple ruins in Luxor. The two countries are also working together to nominate China's Baiheliang and Egypt's Nilometers as world heritage sites and to digitally document thousands of ancient coffins found in Saqqara. ■