Chinese President Xi Jinping on Sunday landed in Bishkek for the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Summit 2026 and a state visit to Kyrgyzstan. Prior to his arrival, he published a signed article in Kyrgyz media titled "Jointly Opening up New Prospects for the High-Quality Development of China-Kyrgyzstan Relations." The article noted that "China and Kyrgyzstan are good neighbors sharing weal and woe, good partners with a shared future, and good friends who help each other succeed." This characterization is not only a precise summary of bilateral relations over the 34 years since diplomatic ties were established, but also charts a course for the future of bilateral ties.
From the ancient camel bells of the Silk Road to the Belt and Road cooperation in the new era, the friendship between China and Kyrgyzstan spans millennia, enduring and renewing through time. Since establishing diplomatic relations, bilateral ties have weathered shifting international landscapes, achieving historic milestones from good-neighborly relations to strategic partnership, and then to comprehensive strategic partnership for the new era.
In February 2025, the two heads of state reached important understandings on further deepening the comprehensive strategic partnership for the new era and building a China-Kyrgyzstan community with a shared future defined by good-neighborliness, friendship and shared prosperity, opening a fresh chapter in bilateral relations. Last year, they met three times and developed deep trust in each other, both professionally and personally, which provides robust political guidance for cooperation across all sectors.
This profound mutual trust is translating into tangible cooperation outcomes. Amid sluggish global economic growth, China-Kyrgyzstan economic and trade cooperation has maintained a stable and progressive momentum. China has been Kyrgyzstan's largest trading partner and largest source of foreign investment for years, with bilateral trade hitting a historic high in 2025. From photovoltaic power stations and waste technological disposal and power generation project to modern wastewater treatment facilities and dozens of highway upgrade projects, Chinese enterprises have become indispensable pillars of Kyrgyzstan's development landscape. Construction on the Kyrgyz section of the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway is advancing full steam ahead, the Bedel Port has opened for interim traffic, and the number of direct flight routes between the two countries continues to grow. This multidimensional, interconnected network is taking shape, injecting powerful momentum into regional economic integration.
Beyond the "hard connectivity" of economic and trade cooperation, the "soft connectivity" of people-to-people exchanges sparkles with highlights. Luban Workshop as well as Confucius Institutes and Classrooms are empowering local youth in vocational and language skills; the "Brightness Journey of Lifeline Express" for cataract patients and traditional Chinese medicine center are directly benefiting more Kyrgyz people; and cultural days, film festivals, and art galas are drawing hearts closer together.
Two-way visits exceeded 400,000 last year, and 30 pairs of sister provinces and cities enjoy close ties. Starting from August 20 this year, the relevant visa-free transit policy has come into effect, allowing Kyrgyzstan citizens to enjoy the convenience of a one-day living circle between Bishkek and Urumqi. A growing number of young people in Kyrgyzstan are striving to learn Chinese and hoping to study in China - a vivid testament to the deep foundation of mutual affinity between the two peoples.
Every step in the deepening of China-Kyrgyzstan relations is a microcosm of the construction of a community of shared future between China and Central Asian countries. The vigorous development of China-Kyrgyzstan relations in recent years cannot be separated from the support of the SCO, an important multilateral platform. This year marks the 25th anniversary of the SCO. Over the past 25 years, the SCO has become the most extensive and populous comprehensive regional cooperation organization in the world, with significant potential for development. It has successfully explored a new path for regional cooperation and set a model for a new type of international relations.
In September last year, President Xi proposed the Global Governance Initiative for the first time at the "Shanghai Cooperation Organization Plus" meeting, providing a systematic and complete Chinese solution to address the global governance deficit. The Tianjin Summit last year laid out a strategic vision for the SCO's development over the next decade, ushering in a new stage of high-quality development for the organization.
Since Kyrgyzstan assumed the rotating presidency of the SCO, it has made a significant amount of effective efforts in consolidating consensus among member states and promoting practical cooperation. This summit will also promote the implementation and continuation of the outcomes from the Tianjin Summit. The two countries will rely on platforms including the SCO to further deepen cooperation, and promote the construction of a community of shared future within the SCO to a new level.
Currently, China is fully implementing its 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-30), while Kyrgyzstan is carrying out its National Development Program before 2030. The deep alignment of development strategies opens up broad space for practical cooperation between the two sides. Following the rapid track of SCO development, the train of China-Kyrgyzstan friendship is bound to head toward an even more glorious "golden period."
The article first appeared in the Global Times: https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202608/1369413.shtml