ROUGH CUT (NO REPORTER NARRATION)br br STORY: Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi attended a welcoming ceremony hosted by his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping on Tuesday (December 23), in Beijing.br br The ceremony was followed by bilateral talks and a signing ceremony, during a visit aimed at strengthening ties between the two countries.br br Sisi began his four-day visit in China on Monday (December 22), at the invitation of Chinese President Xi Jinping.br br Both Sisi and Xi inspected a guard of honor in the east hall of the Great Hall of the People before sitting down for a bilateral meeting in the presence of delegations from China and Egypt on Tuesday afternoon.br br Later the two leaders signed a joint statement of comprehensive strategic partnership between China and Egypt and oversaw the signing of a series of agreements including economic, trade and energy cooperations.