Interview with Egyptian Ambassador to China
The new administrative capital will not replace Cairo
A reporter from the Beijing News interviewed the Egyptian ambassador to China.
"Earth Connection" video screenshot
From December, the Egyptian government will use the "new administrative capital" for a six-month trial operation.
In fact, in order to alleviate the problems of Cairo's high population density and high pressure on urban infrastructure, the Egyptian government proposed a plan to build a new administrative capital in 2015.
Why build a new administrative capital?
How will this city develop in the future?
In this regard, the Beijing News exclusively interviewed the Egyptian ambassador to China Mohamed Elbadri (Mohamed Elbadri).
When talking about the new administrative capital, the ambassador was full of enthusiasm. It will be a modern smart city.
But under the rich historical accumulation, "Cairo will always be Cairo."
The central business district of the new administrative capital had previously held a public bidding, and China State Construction Engineering Group Co., Ltd. won the construction opportunity with the best project planning in a fair and just manner.
Badri said that their work was excellent and efficient.
"Cairo will always be Cairo"
Beijing News: Why establish a new administrative capital?
Mohamed Badri: There are two main motivations for building a new administrative capital.
On the one hand, this is part of the Egyptian government's new vision, that is, the Egyptian government will abandon the shackles and obstacles of traditional governance concepts and use more modern governance methods.
On the other hand, the population of Egypt is increasing.
At the current rate of population growth, Egypt's population will double in the next 40 years.
Considering mid- to long-term planning, Egypt needs new cities to accommodate the ever-increasing population.
Beijing News: How is the new administrative capital different from Cairo?
Mohamed Badri: Cairo is an international metropolis and it is now overpopulated.
At the same time, Cairo remains an extremely attractive city.
Many people work in Cairo, and some even travel to Cairo from other cities to work during the day and return to their own city at night.
The new administrative capital will be the city where the government is located and will be managed in an advanced and modern way. Most government agencies such as the cabinet and parliament will also move to the new administrative capital.
But Cairo will always be Cairo and will not be replaced. Egypt will not have two capitals.
The Beijing News: The Egyptian government proposed a plan to build a new administrative capital as early as 2015. Why did the government decide to move to the new administrative capital in December this year?
Mohamed Badri: The Egyptian government originally planned to move to the new administrative capital in 2020, but the plan had to be postponed due to the impact of the new crown epidemic.
Our President Sisi decided to start the "relocation of the capital" in December. This will be a transitional period of "soft opening". At the beginning, only some government departments will be relocated.
"Moving the capital" cannot be accomplished overnight. We need a transitional period of several months to ensure that everything goes smoothly. It is expected that all government departments will move to the new administrative capital before the end of 2022.
Therefore, this is not a whimsical decision, but a wise and far-sighted plan starting in 2015, and the governance level of the Egyptian government will therefore be raised to a new height.
Cairo and the new administrative capital will be synergistic and complementary
Beijing News: In addition to solving the problem of overpopulation, what other tasks does Egypt’s new administrative capital have?
Mohamed Badri: Overpopulation is the main problem that the new administrative capital wants to solve, but it doesn't stop there.
The current situation of population growth means that we need to build new cities, and the establishment of new administrative capitals is expected to accommodate millions of people.
In addition, when it is completed, all government departments will be concentrated in one place, which is essential to improve the level of government management and is conducive to realizing the vision of modern governance in Egypt.
But the new administrative capital we are building will not only serve the government system, but will also set up business districts and so on.
The new administrative capital is a modern smart city, which is reflected in many aspects. Its urban energy conservation, transportation, garbage recycling, etc. will be handled in smart ways.
Beijing News: What impact will the establishment of the new administrative capital have on the lives of the Egyptian people?
Muhammad Badri: As mentioned before, as a smart city, the management of the new administrative capital will be perfect, and the public security environment will be relatively safe. Coupled with the urban infrastructure mentioned earlier, the residents of the new administrative capital will be You will find its life very convenient.
Beijing News: Who will be the first residents of the new administrative capital?
Will people be willing to move to the new administrative capital?
Muhammad Badri: The first batch of residents will be government workers, about 40,000 to 50,000, and the number will gradually increase in the future. Some people will move there with their families. The government structure of the new administrative capital will gradually be established. .
As the ancient Chinese saying goes, a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.
The first step is to move 10% of the government system to the new administrative capital in December.
Whether you are willing to move to the new administrative capital depends on your personal wishes.
Those who like to explore will find this is a brand new opportunity, a brand new land, a brand new vision, while some people are more willing to stay in their comfort zone.
The Beijing News: Cairo has many cultural heritages. Does the Egyptian government plan to transfer these cultural heritages to the new administrative capital?
Mohamed Badri: No.
Cairo is still Cairo, with the historical atmosphere of ancient Egypt, Greece, Islam and Coptic culture.
Our purpose of establishing the new administrative capital is not to house the cultural heritage of Cairo here. Cairo and the new administrative capital will be synergistic and complementary in function.
"Govern Egypt in the 21st Century"
Beijing News: The new administrative capital will be built on the desert. What is the current progress?
Mohamed Badri: It is not easy to build a city in the desert, but it is progressing very smoothly. We are proud of the new administrative capital in the future.
We are committed to building a modern smart city in the desert. Of course, we will encounter some difficulties in the process, such as the construction of infrastructure and the quality of the city.
An important issue that needs to be resolved is transportation. The new administrative capital has complete transportation facilities, and it will be very convenient to travel to and from Cairo and other cities.
We are also following up on many cooperation projects with China.
Aviation Industry Corporation of China will build a high-speed train in Egypt to connect the city on the 10th of Ramadan and other urban areas.
Even if you live 40 or 50 kilometers away from the new administrative capital, the high-speed train only needs 20 or 25 minutes of commuting time.
The Beijing News: How would you introduce Egypt's new administrative capital to the world?
Muhammad Badri: "Govern Egypt in the 21st Century".
Beijing News: Egypt is not the only country considering moving the government system away from the capital. South Korea and Indonesia also have similar projects. Do you think this will become an international trend?
Mohamed Badri: It depends on the national conditions of each country. Each country will decide the most suitable plan according to its specific needs.
There are not many examples of actually moving the capital.
For example, Brazil previously moved its capital from Rio de Janeiro to Brasilia.
Under the leadership of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the capital of Turkey also moved from Istanbul to Ankara.
However, the national conditions of each country are different. For example, the District of Columbia in Washington, the United States was established for the government system, and there is no need for the U.S. government to move away from the government system.
Chinese companies win tenders with the best project planning
Beijing News: China and Egypt have cooperated in many aspects. This time, China State Construction also undertook the construction of the new administrative capital's central business district project.
What do you think of this project?
Muhammad Badri: First of all, the central business district of Egypt’s new administrative capital is very important and an indispensable important area. This area is not only built for government governance, but also takes into account its role in business and cultural exchanges. effect.
We are very satisfied with the work of China Construction.
Despite the impact of the new crown epidemic, the work of China Construction is still very good and efficient.
At the same time, they are still building the tallest tower in Africa, which will become a symbol of China-Egypt friendly relations in the coming decades and even hundreds of years.
The Beijing News: Why did Egypt choose to cooperate with China?
Mohamed Badri: These related projects are all open tenders. Chinese companies have provided the best project planning, the most reasonable price and financing, and they have won the opportunity to undertake construction fairly and justly.
At the same time, their work is also very good, and we are very satisfied.
The Beijing News: This year, China and Egypt will jointly celebrate the 65th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations. How do you evaluate the achievements of the cooperation between China and Egypt?
Mohamed Badri: Egypt is the first Arab country and African country to establish diplomatic relations with New China.
Both China and Egypt are very proud of this.
China-Egypt relations have gone through different stages.
In 2014, Egyptian President Abdul-Fattah Al-Sisi and Chinese President Xi Jinping jointly decided to further develop China-Egypt relations and establish a comprehensive strategic partnership. This is a strategic decision of the two leaders to improve China-Egypt relations. Development has pushed to another peak.
But this is not the end of the development of friendly relations between the two sides, but just a starting point.
Beijing News: How do you think China-Egypt relations will develop in the future?
Mohamed Badri: The development of friendly relations between China and Egypt knows no boundaries.
On the premise of mutual assistance, mutual benefit and mutual respect, the friendly relations between China and Egypt will continue to develop.
Beijing News reporter Zhu Yuehong Hou Wu Ting Yao Yuan Li Xintong Liu Jingyu