Xi Returns to Beijing After SCO Summit and State Visits to Kyrgyzstan, Egypt

Chinese President Xi Jinping returned to Beijing on Thursday morning after concluding his attendance at the 2026 Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Summit in Bishkek and completing state visits to Kyrgyzstan and Egypt, according to Xinhua News Agency. The five-day diplomatic tour, which ran from August 30 to September 3, marked one of China’s most consequential diplomatic engagements of the year, spanning Central Asia and the Middle East.

Xi was accompanied by his wife Peng Liyuan, Cai Qi, a member of the Politburo Standing Committee and director of the General Office of the CPC Central Committee, and Wang Yi, a member of the Politburo and Minister of Foreign Affairs, all of whom returned on the same flight, as China Daily reported.

A Milestone SCO Summit

The centerpiece of the tour was Xi’s participation in the 26th Meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the SCO, held August 31-September 1 at the newly completed Rys Ordo Congress Hall in Bishkek. The summit marked the 25th anniversary of the organization’s founding and was chaired by Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov under the theme “25 Years of the SCO: Together for Sustainable Peace, Development and Prosperity,” according to Wikipedia’s account of the summit.

In his address titled “Toward Higher-Quality Development of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization,” Xi proposed deepening cooperation in trade, investment, connectivity, and emerging fields including artificial intelligence, the digital economy, and green industries. He announced plans for an international AI application cooperation center for SCO countries, a China-SCO port economic cooperation center in Tianjin, and 100 technological cooperation projects over the next three years, as detailed in the full text of his speech published by Xinhua.

“We should advocate an inclusive and beneficial economic globalization, consolidate cooperation in traditional areas such as trade, investment, connectivity, energy and resources, and expand cooperation in emerging areas such as artificial intelligence, digital economy, green industries and green minerals,” Xi said during the summit.

The leaders adopted the Bishkek Declaration on the 25th Anniversary of the SCO, approved amendments to the SCO Charter, and established an SCO Universal Center for Countering Security Challenges and Threats and an Anti-drug Center. Pakistan was designated to assume the SCO’s rotating presidency for 2026-2027. The Chinese Foreign Ministry had announced the trip in advance, with spokesperson Lin Jian noting that Xi would have in-depth exchanges with participating leaders on deepening SCO cooperation.

Strengthening Ties with Kyrgyzstan

During his state visit to Kyrgyzstan—his first in seven years—Xi and President Japarov signed the Treaty on Permanent Good-Neighborliness, Friendship and Cooperation between China and Kyrgyzstan, along with a Joint Declaration on High-Quality Development of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership for a New Era. The landmark treaty places bilateral relations on a long-term institutional footing, as Anadolu Agency reported.

“China and Kyrgyzstan are true good neighbors that are as close as lips and teeth, partners sharing weal and woe, and good friends who achieve mutual success,” Xi said during his talks with Japarov, according to a Xinhua analysis published by Youth.cn. Japarov, for his part, greeted Xi with the warm words, “You are our family member.”

On the sidelines of the summit, Xi also held bilateral meetings with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, and Mongolian President Ukhnaagiin Khurelsukh, reflecting the breadth of diplomatic engagement surrounding the SCO gathering.

A Historic Visit to Egypt

Xi’s state visit to Egypt—his first in a decade—coincided 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, a historical bond Xi emphasized during his talks with President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi in Cairo on September 2.

“In 1956, Egypt was the first Arab and African country to establish diplomatic relations with New China,” Xi said, as reported by Xinhua’s coverage of the talks. “The older generation of leaders of both countries fought side by side on the road to national independence and against imperialism and colonialism, forging a profound friendship that cannot be broken.”

Following their talks at Al-Ittihadiya Palace, Xi and Sisi issued a Joint Statement on Further Deepening the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. More than 20 cooperation documents were signed covering areas including Belt and Road Initiative alignment with Egypt Vision 2030, economic and technical cooperation, industrial and supply-chain cooperation, information technology, and Suez Canal Economic Zone cooperation. The two leaders also agreed to launch the third phase of the China-Egypt TEDA Suez Economic and Trade Cooperation Zone, encompassing renewable energy, automotive manufacturing, textiles, and chemical fibers.

Regional security featured prominently in the discussions. Xi called for Middle Eastern states to explore a new security architecture and proposed a four-point initiative on Middle East security. “China supports regional countries in developing good-neighborly relations, adheres to a common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security concept, and works to build a new security architecture in the Middle East,” Xi stated.

Sisi warmly welcomed the visit, saying he was honored to receive Xi “on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries,” as noted in the Chinese government’s report on the visit.

Cultural Diplomacy at the Grand Egyptian Museum

In a notable cultural moment, Sisi and First Lady Entissar el-Sisi accompanied Xi and Peng Liyuan on a tour of the Grand Egyptian Museum in Giza. Xi reflected on the deep civilizational ties between the two nations, saying: “China and Egypt are both ancient civilizations and major world heritage countries. The two great civilizations have transcended time and space in a two-way journey, continuously writing chapters of friendship between the two peoples,” as Guancha reported.

Strategic Implications

The diplomatic tour carries significant geopolitical weight. The SCO summit took place against the backdrop of the Russia-Ukraine war in its fifth year and the US-Israel military conflict with Iran. The Bishkek Declaration condemned “military strikes on the territory of the Islamic Republic of Iran” as violations of international law, according to the Wikipedia account of the summit.

Xi’s visit to Egypt comes as China seeks to expand its influence in the Middle East, with bilateral trade between the two countries standing at approximately US$20 billion annually and Chinese investment exceeding US$10 billion. The visit was also Xi’s second major overseas trip of 2026, following a state visit to North Korea in June, and precedes a scheduled visit to the United States next month for talks with President Trump, as RFI noted in its coverage.

Looking Ahead

The tour reinforced China’s strategic engagement across two critical regions—Central Asia and the Middle East—at a time of significant geopolitical flux. The institutional agreements signed with Kyrgyzstan and Egypt provide a framework for deepening economic and security cooperation in the years ahead. With Pakistan set to assume the SCO presidency and Xi’s upcoming visit to Washington, China’s diplomatic calendar remains full as Beijing continues to advance its vision of a multipolar world order.

As Xi’s plane touched down in Beijing, the full scope of the diplomatic achievements—from the SCO’s institutional reforms to the expansion of the China-Egypt economic partnership—will now be translated into concrete policy implementation in the months ahead.