Xi Jinping begins Asia-Africa tour with SCO summit

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.uz) — Chinese President Xi Jinping will attend the 2026 Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Bishkek and make state visits to Kyrgyzstan and Egypt from 30 August to 3 September.

His early-autumn itinerary will take him from the foothills of the Tien Shan to the banks of the Nile, combining a multilateral summit with bilateral talks. The trip is intended to contribute China’s efforts to improving global governance and bring together the strength of Global South countries in pursuit of peace and development.

On 28 August local time, ahead of the SCO summit in Bishkek, information about the upcoming meeting had already appeared on electronic displays at bus stops across the Kyrgyz capital.

SCO: 25 years of development and a new 10-year horizon

The SCO marks its 25th anniversary this year. Starting with six founding members, the organization has grown into a large “family” comprising 27 countries across Europe, Asia and Africa. It has become the largest regional organization for comprehensive cooperation in terms of territory and population, with significant development potential.

Last year in Tianjin, Xi Jinping and the leaders of SCO member states set out a development plan for the organization for the next 10 years, opening a new stage of high-quality development.

Over the past year, all seven practical platforms in areas including green industry, the digital economy, scientific and technological innovation and energy have been launched.

The Global Governance Initiative has received support from nearly 160 countries and international organizations, while more than 60 countries have joined the “Group of Friends of Global Governance.”

“The way plans formulated at the Tianjin summit are translated into real development results is an important indicator of the SCO’s vitality,” said Sun Zhuangzhi, director of the Institute of Russian, Eastern European and Central Asian Studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.

According to Sun, one of the key issues at the Bishkek summit will be further implementing the outcomes of the Tianjin meeting and turning the 10-year development plan into an even greater number of practical actions.

Kyrgyzstan: from good-neighborliness to joint development

In Bishkek, Xi Jinping will also make a state visit to Kyrgyzstan. It will be his first visit to the mountainous Central Asian country since 2019.

In recent years, Xi and Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov have met seven times, providing strategic direction for the development of bilateral relations. China-Kyrgyzstan cooperation has entered a period of rapid development that can be described as a “golden era.”

High-level political agreements are gradually translating into changes felt by ordinary people. Kyrgyz honey, fruit and other agricultural products are appearing on the tables of Chinese families, while Chinese new-energy vehicles are operating on the streets of Kyrgyz cities.

Construction of the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway is currently progressing steadily. In December 2024, in a congratulatory message marking the launch of the project, Xi said the railway’s construction was a strategic decision by the governments of the three countries aimed at strengthening regional connectivity and promoting prosperity and stability in the region.

Chen Yirong, a researcher at the China Institute of International Studies, said the “Silk Road railway” would improve transport connectivity in Central Asia, stimulate trade, industrial development and people-to-people contacts, and open up new space for regional development. Promoting the successful implementation of the project will therefore also be an important issue during the current visit.

President Sadyr Japarov said: “Kyrgyzstan’s most valuable advantage is its neighborhood with China.”

From geographical proximity to shared development, the long-standing friendship between the two countries is gradually taking shape through roads, joint projects and people’s daily lives.

Egypt: 70 years of diplomatic relations and new opportunities

This year marks the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Egypt. During his current trip, Xi Jinping will also make a state visit to Egypt, 10 years after his previous visit.

In 1956, Egypt became one of the first Arab and African countries to establish diplomatic relations with the People’s Republic of China. Since then, bilateral relations have continued to develop, with Egypt repeatedly becoming a “first” in China’s cooperation with the Arab world and developing countries.

Egypt was the first Arab country to include the goal of building a community with a shared future for humanity in a joint statement on bilateral relations, and the first developing country to establish strategic relations with China.

“An anniversary of 70 years is an important milestone for reviewing the past and planning for the future,” said Wang Guangda, secretary-general of the Council of the China-Arab Center for Research and Reform and Development.

In his view, Xi’s visit will further strengthen political mutual trust between China and Egypt and expand cooperation in both traditional and emerging areas.

Against the backdrop of a complex international situation and continuing conflicts in the Middle East, Egypt plays an important role as a key link between the Arab world and Africa. Wang said the country is actively involved in promoting dialogue and reconciliation in the region, as well as humanitarian activities.

Strengthening strategic coordination between China and Egypt is significant not only for bilateral relations but also for building broader consensus in the interests of peace and stability in the Middle East.

From Bishkek to Cairo, from the foothills of the Tien Shan to the banks of the Nile, one route connects with another.

As another stage of China’s diplomacy begins, the trip is expected to leave a mark on the period and open new chapters of cooperation.

China News Service