Chinese residents in North Africa are mainly in Cairo, Alexandria and the Suez Canal Economic Zone in Egypt; in Algiers, Oran, Annaba and other coastal cities in Algeria; and in Casablanca, Morocco. The main sectors are contracting, manufacturing (the Suez economic and trade cooperation zone in Egypt, battery and auto-parts plants in Morocco) and wholesale and retail. North Africa is also the easiest part of Africa to reach from China: six Chinese cities, including Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou, have direct flights to Cairo.
On security: as of October 2026, China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) rates Egypt yellow (medium risk) and Morocco blue (low risk). Six Algerian provinces are orange (high risk). All of Libya except Misrata and Benghazi (orange) is red (extremely high risk), and 13 Sudanese states or areas are red.
Main sectors and cities
| Country | Main cities | Main sectors for Chinese residents |
|---|---|---|
| Egypt | Cairo, Alexandria, Suez Canal Economic Zone | Project staff, factories (appliances, fibreglass, textiles, televisions), trade, restaurants. More than 3,000 Chinese-funded companies (August 2026, Egyptian figures) [2]; nearly 100 Chinese companies in the China-Egypt TEDA Suez zone (end-2024) [1] |
| Algeria | Algiers, Oran, Annaba | Contracting and trade. About 4,000 Chinese residents at end-2024, excluding Chinese company staff, mostly workers; plus about 10,000 Chinese contract workers [3] |
| Morocco | Casablanca (more than half of all Chinese), Rabat, Tangier | Wholesale and retail, auto parts and EV batteries, telecoms, restaurants [4] |
| Tunisia | Tunis | Staff of Chinese organisations; only about 30 long-term Chinese residents [5] |
| Libya, Sudan | Tripoli; Port Sudan | A few project and telecom staff remain after the conflicts |
For details, see the Egypt guide. Population estimates for each country are in the table below this text and on the Chinese population in Africa page.
Flights from China
- Egypt: there are now six direct routes, from Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Chengdu, Shenzhen and Hangzhou to Cairo. Air China launched Beijing–Cairo on 9 July 2025 [1].
- Algeria: Air Algérie flies Beijing–Algiers nonstop twice a week. Air France, Emirates, Qatar Airways and Turkish Airlines offer connections [3].
- Morocco: the main routes are Beijing–Casablanca and Shanghai–Casablanca (via Marseille), or connections through Paris, Dubai, Istanbul, Cairo or Doha [4].
This information comes from MOFCOM’s 2025 country guides. Check with the airline when booking.
Regional organisations and trade arrangements
- Algeria is a founding member of the Arab Maghreb Union [3], and Morocco is also a member [4].
- Egypt’s free trade arrangements include the Greater Arab Free Trade Area (1997), COMESA (1998), an FTA with the EU (2001), the Agadir Agreement with Jordan, Morocco and Tunisia (2004) and the AfCFTA agreement (2018) [1]. Manufacturers in Egypt exporting to Europe or Arab markets should look at the rules of origin under these agreements.
- Since 1 December 2024 China has applied zero tariffs on 100% of tariff lines for 33 African least developed countries it has diplomatic ties with, and from 1 May 2026 it applies zero tariffs to the other 20 African countries it has ties with, for two years [6].
None of these arrangements changes visa rules for Chinese citizens; entry visas and work permits are handled country by country. For Egypt, see Egypt visas and work permits.
Security overview
| MFA risk level (as of October 2026) | Country or area |
|---|---|
| Red (extremely high risk) | All of Libya except Misrata, Benghazi and surrounding towns; the MFA advises against travel there [10]. Thirteen Sudanese states or areas including Khartoum State, Darfur, the Kordofan states and Gezira [11] |
| Orange (high risk) | Misrata, Benghazi and surrounding towns in Libya; the rest of Sudan, including Red Sea and Kassala states [11]; the Algerian provinces of Ghardaïa, Boumerdès, Tizi Ouzou, Batna, Béjaïa and Illizi [8] |
| Yellow (medium risk) | Egypt [7]; the rest of Algeria; 15 Tunisian governorates, mainly in the west and south [9] |
| Blue (low risk) | Morocco [12]; the rest of Tunisia |
For crime and precautions in Egypt, see Egypt safety. For emergencies, see Consular protection and the 12308 hotline.
References
- Country (Region) Guide for Outward Investment and Cooperation: Egypt (2025 edition) (Ministry of Commerce of China, 2025)
- Ambassador Liao Liqiang speaks at China–Egypt government-business meeting (Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China, August 2026)
- Country (Region) Guide for Outward Investment and Cooperation: Algeria (2025 edition) (Ministry of Commerce of China, 2025)
- Country (Region) Guide for Outward Investment and Cooperation: Morocco (2025 edition) (Ministry of Commerce of China, 2025)
- Country (Region) Guide for Outward Investment and Cooperation: Tunisia (2025 edition) (Ministry of Commerce of China, 2025)
- China to apply zero tariffs to all African countries with diplomatic ties from 1 May 2026 (Xinhua / gov.cn, 2026)
- China Consular Service Network: Egypt country profile and travel risk level (Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China, accessed October 2026)
- China Consular Service Network: Algeria country profile and travel risk level (Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China, accessed October 2026)
- China Consular Service Network: Tunisia country profile and travel risk level (Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China, accessed October 2026)
- China Consular Service Network: Libya country profile and travel risk level (Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China, accessed October 2026)
- China Consular Service Network: Sudan country profile and travel risk level (Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China, accessed October 2026)
- China Consular Service Network: Morocco country profile and travel risk level (Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China, accessed October 2026)
Countries in this region
| Country | Chinese population (est.) | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Egypt | ~10,000–20,000 (about 16,000) | 2024–2025 |
| Algeria | ~10,000 (incl. contract workers) | 2024 |
| Morocco | ~2,000–3,000 | 2025 |
| Sudan | Before the war ~1,500–2,500; now a few hundred | 2023 |
| Libya | Under 1,000 (probably a few hundred) | 2020s |
| Tunisia | ~250–350 | 2025 |