China, Kyrgyzstan Sign Landmark Good-Neighborliness Treaty

Chinese President Xi Jinping and Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov signed a landmark Treaty on Permanent Good-Neighborliness, Friendship and Cooperation during Xi’s state visit to Bishkek on August 31, establishing a long-term legal foundation for bilateral relations. The two leaders also issued a Joint Declaration on the High-Quality Development of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership for a New Era, alongside 32 bilateral documents covering border cooperation, trade, transport, agriculture, education and cultural exchange, according to Xinhua.

A Historic Milestone in Bilateral Relations

The visit, which coincided with Kyrgyzstan’s 35th anniversary of independence, marked Xi’s first trip to the Central Asian nation in seven years. Speaking at the welcoming ceremony, Xi said he had personally witnessed the rapid transformation of Kyrgyzstan during the intervening years, noting the country’s “impressive development results and thriving public life,” as reported by 24.KG.

Japarov welcomed Xi on the country’s Independence Day, describing the visit as “clear evidence of the sincere friendship, mutual respect, and high level of political trust between our countries.” The Kyrgyz leader declared that cooperation between the two nations has entered “a new, golden period of development,” attributing these achievements to Xi’s personal support, according to 24.KG.

The treaty makes Kyrgyzstan the second Central Asian country, after Tajikistan, to conclude such a permanent good-neighborliness agreement with China. Xi emphasized that the signing “will provide an important legal foundation for friendship between the two countries from generation to generation and for their continued mutual support,” as China Daily reported.

A Comprehensive Cooperation Framework

The Joint Declaration outlines an expansive framework for cooperation spanning political, security, economic, infrastructure, energy, agricultural, technological, educational and cultural domains. Kyrgyzstan reaffirmed its firm adherence to the One-China principle, acknowledging Taiwan as an inalienable part of China’s territory and opposing any form of “Taiwan independence,” according to the full text published by Xinhua.

China, in turn, congratulated Kyrgyzstan on its election as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council for 2027-2028 and pledged support for its efforts during the term. The declaration also welcomed Kyrgyzstan’s participation in the World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organization and the International Mediation Organization.

The two sides signed 32 documents following the talks, including agreements on the construction of a road border bridge across the Uzengu-Kuush River near the Bedel checkpoint, cooperation on border crossing management, a memorandum on science and technology innovation, sister-region agreements between Issyk-Kul region and Xinjiang, and between Osh region and Sichuan Province, as well as a cultural cooperation program for 2026-2029, according to 24.KG.

The China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan Railway: A “Steel Silk Road”

A central focus of the talks was the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan (CKU) railway, a flagship Belt and Road Initiative project that Xi described as “a major transportation artery carrying the development aspirations of people across the region.” The railway, which begins in Kashgar, Xinjiang, and passes through Kyrgyzstan’s mountainous terrain to reach Uzbekistan, is currently under construction, with full-scale construction of the Kyrgyz section having begun in June 2025.

Japarov expressed Kyrgyzstan’s readiness to actively advance the railway project, envisioning it as a “steel Silk Road” for the new era and a new bond of friendship between the two countries. The project represents a significant infrastructure undertaking for landlocked Central Asia, which has long faced geographic constraints on connectivity. As Zhang Hong, a research fellow at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, noted, growing Chinese investment and flagship BRI projects are helping turn geographic constraints into connectivity advantages.

Security Cooperation and Regional Stability

Both leaders agreed to expand law enforcement and security cooperation, jointly combating what they termed the “three forces” of terrorism, separatism and extremism, as well as drug trafficking and transnational crime. The declaration also commits both sides to deepen defense cooperation, including joint counter-terrorism exercises and personnel training.

The visit unfolded against the backdrop of the SCO Summit 2026 in Bishkek, which brought together leaders from China, Russia, India and other member states for the organization’s 25th anniversary summit. As founding members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, China and Kyrgyzstan agreed to advance implementation of outcomes from last year’s Tianjin summit and take the SCO’s development to a new level, according to China Daily.

Economic Integration and New Growth Drivers

Beyond traditional trade, the two countries are charting a course toward deeper economic integration. The joint declaration emphasizes expansion of digital trade, cross-border e-commerce, and financial cooperation, including support for Kyrgyz banks to join China’s Cross-Border Interbank Payment System (CIPS). The agreement also covers renewable energy cooperation, green minerals development, and joint scientific research through Belt and Road joint laboratories.

Liu Xinlu, vice president of Beijing Foreign Studies University, noted that the latest agreements indicate a structural shift in China-Kyrgyzstan cooperation. Digital trade, cross-border e-commerce, renewable energy, green minerals and artificial intelligence are emerging as new growth drivers, moving cooperation beyond simply selling products toward building local digital infrastructure and ecosystems.

Solidarity in Times of Crisis

During the talks, Japarov extended his deep sympathies over the mudslide disaster in Gyirong county in China’s Xizang Autonomous Region. Xi thanked him and noted that China is providing emergency assistance to Nepal as well, which was also affected by the disaster. The exchange underscored the human dimension of the bilateral relationship.

Looking Ahead

As Xi departed Bishkek to continue his regional tour with a visit to Egypt, the treaty and joint declaration leave China and Kyrgyzstan with a robust institutional framework for the next phase of their relationship. Experts view the agreements as establishing a legal and institutional foundation for long-term political commitment to good-neighborliness, providing a more solid basis for the stable and sustained development of bilateral relations.

The Anadolu Agency noted that the treaty places bilateral relations on a long-term institutional footing, coming as China expands its economic engagement with Central Asia through major infrastructure and transport projects. With the CKU railway progressing steadily, an SCO Development Bank taking shape, and new cooperation frameworks in digital trade and green energy, the China-Kyrgyzstan partnership appears poised for continued expansion in the years ahead.

The third China-Central Asia Summit, planned for 2027 in China, will provide the next major opportunity to assess the trajectory of this deepening relationship. For now, the Bishkek agreements signal a clear commitment from both capitals to elevate their partnership to unprecedented levels, with implications that extend well beyond their bilateral relationship to the broader dynamics of Central Asian geopolitics.