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Egypt hopes China can break deadlock in Nile dam dispute

Egypt has turned to China, hoping its leverage will help sway Ethiopia to negotiate on a deal over the dam’s water management.
MOHAMED EL-SHAHED/AFP via Getty Images

CAIRO — Egypt is following a new policy course on the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) in latest bid to get Ethiopia to agree to sign a legally binding deal on the dam. Cairo is approaching Ethiopia's closest allies, starting with China.

During a meeting with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in the northwestern coastal city of Alamein on July 18, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi said, "Egypt is unwavering in its determination to protect its historical right to its water share from the Nile."

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