Xi to Attend SCO Summit, Visit Kyrgyzstan and Egypt
Chinese President Xi Jinping will attend the 2026 Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Summit in Bishkek and make state visits to Kyrgyzstan and Egypt from August 30 to September 3, according to an official announcement from China’s Foreign Ministry. The trip marks Xi’s second overseas journey this year, following a visit to North Korea in June, and underscores Beijing’s deepening engagement across Central Asia and the Middle East.
A Milestone Summit for the SCO
The Bishkek summit comes as the SCO marks its 25th anniversary. Founded in Shanghai in June 2001 by China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan, the organization has grown to 10 member states with a combined population exceeding 3.4 billion, accounting for roughly one-fourth of global GDP, as Xinhua reported.
Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian told a regular press briefing that Xi will have in-depth exchanges with participating leaders on deepening SCO cooperation and major international and regional issues. “This year marks the 25th anniversary of the SCO,” Lin said. “Over the past 25 years, member states have upheld the ‘Shanghai Spirit,’ insisted on unity and cooperation, and comprehensively deepened cooperation, developing the SCO into a comprehensive regional organization with the world’s widest geographical coverage, largest population, and enormous development potential.”
The summit follows last year’s Tianjin gathering, which adopted the SCO Development Strategy 2026-2035, setting the organization’s priorities for the coming decade. Kyrgyzstan assumed the SCO chairmanship with the motto “25 Years of the SCO: Together Towards Sustainable Peace, Development, and Prosperity.”
“If the Tianjin summit drew up the blueprint, the core task of the Bishkek summit is to put it into action,” said Su Chang, a researcher at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences’ Institute of Russian, Eastern European and Central Asian Studies, in an analysis published by China Daily.
Kyrgyz officials see the summit as a pivotal moment for the organization. “The Kyrgyz Republic, as host country and architect of the agenda, bears a special responsibility to ensure that the summit becomes not a procedural milestone, but a strategic turning point,” wrote Shumkarbek Adilbek uulu, Director of the National Institute for Strategic Initiatives under the President of the Kyrgyz Republic, in a Valdai Club analysis.
Kyrgyzstan: A Golden Period of Cooperation
Xi’s state visit to Kyrgyzstan at the invitation of President Sadyr Japarov comes amid what Chinese officials describe as a “golden period” in bilateral relations. China and Kyrgyzstan established diplomatic relations in 1992, and the two leaders met three times in 2025 alone.
Bilateral trade reached $27.2 billion in 2025, up 19.8 percent year-on-year. The flagship China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway, extending more than 500 kilometers with investments of approximately $4.7 billion, began implementation in December 2024 and is expected to transform the landlocked Central Asian nation into a logistical hub for the region.
“China and Kyrgyzstan are good neighbors connected by mountains and rivers, good friends who trust each other, and good partners who share common aspirations,” Lin said, describing the relationship as an example of mutual support between neighboring countries.
Egypt: First State Visit in a Decade
The Egypt leg of Xi’s trip will be his first state visit to the country in 10 years, coinciding with the 70th anniversary of China-Egypt diplomatic relations. Egypt was the first Arab and African country to establish diplomatic relations with the People’s Republic of China in 1956.
Lin described the visit as holding “special significance for the development of bilateral relations, building on the past and opening up the future.” The two countries established a comprehensive strategic partnership in 2014, and in 2024 Egypt became the first Arab country to include building a community with a shared future in a joint statement on bilateral relations.
Economic ties have expanded significantly. Bilateral trade rose from $17.38 billion in 2024 to $20.8 billion in 2025, according to Al-Monitor. The China-Egypt TEDA Suez Economic and Trade Cooperation Zone has attracted more than 200 enterprises with cumulative investment exceeding $4.7 billion, creating over 10,000 direct jobs.
Military cooperation has also deepened, with Egypt and China launching the “Eagles of Civilization 2026” joint air exercise on August 22, as Egyptian Streets reported.
Strategic Implications and Geopolitical Context
The visit occurs against a backdrop of significant regional tensions. Iran and the United States remain locked in a conflict that has disrupted shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, and China has substantial economic ties to the Middle East, which was its top source of crude oil imports before the war, as Al Jazeera noted.
Adding to the strategic dimension, Huawei has submitted a bid to supply more than 2,000 advanced AI chips for Egyptian government data centers, prompting Washington to consider countering the offer. The US State Department has reportedly contacted major American technology companies about forming a consortium to rival Huawei’s bid, according to Al-Monitor’s reporting.
Egyptian Prime Minister’s Assistant Osama El-Gohary expressed confidence in the trajectory of bilateral ties. “Over the 70 years of Egypt-China diplomatic relations, the two countries have trusted and understood each other,” he said. “The bilateral relationship demonstrates strong resilience and enormous development potential.”
What to Watch For
The Bishkek summit is expected to focus on implementing the SCO Development Strategy 2026-2035, including proposals for an SCO Development Bank and investment fund, enhanced transport connectivity, and digital transformation initiatives. Kyrgyzstan has also proposed establishing an International Centre for Combating Organised Crime in Bishkek and advancing the “SCO Green Belt” environmental initiative.
The 6th World Nomad Games are scheduled for September in Bishkek, coinciding with the summit and providing a cultural dimension to the diplomatic engagements.
For Egypt, the visit signals Beijing’s growing footprint in the Middle East at a time of regional upheaval. The combination of military exercises, infrastructure investment, and potential AI technology deals suggests China is positioning itself as a key partner for Egypt across multiple domains.
As Lin Jian put it, China looks forward to working with Egypt to “carry forward traditional friendship, render each other firm support, expand mutually beneficial cooperation, and bolster each other’s modernization.” The coming days will reveal whether these aspirations translate into concrete outcomes during Xi’s landmark visit.