[PhillipHer]

Take into consideration the immense investment into Africa the Chinese have commited in the last decade. Can there be doubt that they are the primary infrastructure provider for the overwhelming majority of projects on the continent at this point?

Secondarily, do not believe for a moment that Egyptians can leverage high tech weaponry. They understand numbers and Chinese make these numbers, cheaply and provide ample training at that. The Chinese outright robbed the Russian military complex (weapon design); the Mig 29 has a knock off that the Egyptians have bought and will buy more of. They will soon sell the SU27 knock off, which is ready. Thats just the beginning. Cheap, relatively easy to use, arms. Thats the ticket. Lest we forget, Mogadishu was won with effin RPG7s, a technology that is 50 years old.

Dictators, like Mubarak, are all about the tank parades and mass accumulation of commodity military assets. That is how they project their power- which is mostly aimed internally, as you well know. So... if the Americans cut off Israel for 5 years, we'll have a cottage industry in everything they wont sell us and probably make it better in some cases. If the Egyptians get cut off by the US... you'll have rotting M1 tanks in the Nile in a span of a year.

The other factor: do not underestimate the Arab proclivity to quickly change horses. Have you read the book? That is what they do...they look for the strong horse, and China may project enough power to accomplish a regional shift. Having Egypt as their client would be a coup for them, since Iran is too crafty and in bed with the Russians and the Saudis have too many ties into Europe and the US.