Photo courtesy of Anadolu
Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in Kyrgyzstan on Sunday as leaders from China, Russia, India, Iran and other major Eurasian powers prepared to gather for the 2026 Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit.
The two-day meeting in Bishkek brings together several influential leaders at a time when SCO members are seeking a greater role in shaping regional security, economic cooperation and the international order.
Russian President Vladimir Putin, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif are among those expected to join Xi and other member-state leaders on Monday.
The gathering also marks 25 years of the SCO, which has grown into a 10-member organization comprising China, Russia, India, Pakistan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Belarus.
Xi traveled to Bishkek at the invitation of Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov and will combine his participation in the summit with a state visit to Kyrgyzstan, according to Chinese state media.
His delegation includes his wife Peng Liyuan, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Cai Qi, a member of the Communist Party of China’s top leadership and director of its General Office.
Diplomatic activity is also expected on the sidelines of the summit. Putin is set to hold separate talks with Xi and Pezeshkian, while Modi is also expected to meet Xi as the regional leaders hold a series of bilateral engagements.
After Kyrgyzstan, Xi is scheduled to travel to Egypt for a state visit at the invitation of Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, extending a diplomatic tour focused on China’s relationships across Eurasia and the Middle East.
