Chinese President Xi Jinping to visit Kyrgyzstan on Sunday, then Egypt

Chinese President Xi Jinping is heading to Kyrgyzstan on Sunday to participate in a regional summit, after which he will visit Egypt, according to a statement released on Wednesday by China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The ministry clarified that during his trip, which runs until September 3, Xi will take part in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan, where he will conduct a state visit, followed by another visit to Egypt.

Other SCO member states, including Russia and Iran, will also participate in the summit.

Xi will hold talks with Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov to strengthen “mutually beneficial cooperation and high-quality development between the two countries,” according to Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian at a press conference.

In Egypt, Xi will meet President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi for talks aimed at “making a positive contribution to safeguarding peace and stability in the region.”

The visit comes as Iran and the United States remain embroiled in a conflict that has spread to various parts of the Middle East, disrupting shipping through the vital Strait of Hormuz and causing disruptions in global energy markets.

China maintains significant economic ties with Middle Eastern countries, with the region being Beijing’s top source of crude oil imports before the outbreak of the war.

Jian said Xi’s first visit to Egypt in a decade “carries special significance for the development of bilateral relations.”

This is the Chinese president’s second overseas trip this year, following his visit to North Korea in June.