A Tour of Central Asia and the Middle East: A Vision for a Fairer Global Governance and Shared Development
During a five-day trip to Central Asia and the Middle East, from August 30 to September 3, Chinese President Xi Jinping carried broad political, developmental, and cultural messages, from the 2026 Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in Kyrgyzstan to state visits to both Kyrgyzstan and Egypt, underscoring, according to observers, that China seeks to inject greater certainty and positive energy into a turbulent and changing world.
Observers noted that the tour aligned with contemporary trends, as President Xi presented a series of proposals related to reforming and improving global governance, stemming from his vision of a shared future for mankind based on multipolarity, dialogue, mutual benefit, and comprehensive development.
At the expanded SCO meeting in the Kyrgyz capital, Bishkek, Xi called for “a multipolar world characterized by equality and order” and a fairer and more equitable global governance system, while strengthening the role of the United Nations.
Since its founding in 2001, the SCO has grown from a six-member Eurasian organization into a family of 27 countries across Asia, Europe, and Africa.
In his speech, Xi stated that equality of sovereignty and mutual respect are fundamental principles, balance, order, and the rule of law are essential requirements, multipolarity, dialogue, and consultation are fundamental pathways, and mutual benefit, gains for all parties, and inclusiveness are the path toward development.
These principles are rooted in Xi’s vision of global governance, which was first articulated with the launch of the Global Governance Initiative at last year’s SCO summit in the Chinese coastal city of Tianjin, as the United Nations celebrated its 80th anniversary.
The initiative has received support from approximately 160 countries and international organizations. The Group of Friends of Global Governance was established in New York, Geneva, and Vienna. The Global AI Cooperation Organization, the world’s first intergovernmental organization focused on artificial intelligence, was launched in Shanghai to advance AI governance. These efforts contribute to translating the Global Governance Initiative into tangible action.
During his state visit to Kyrgyzstan, Xi signed a bilateral treaty with his Kyrgyz counterpart on good-neighborliness, friendship, and permanent cooperation.
In Egypt, Xi proposed a four-point approach to building a new security architecture in the Middle East.
During his talks with Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov, Xi called for efforts to advance the building of a shared future community between China and Kyrgyzstan and to achieve greater benefits for the peoples of both countries.
Xi urged the construction of a high-quality China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway, a flagship project under the Belt and Road Initiative that links China with Central Asia.
Xi stated that the organization should support comprehensive and inclusive economic globalization that benefits everyone, enhance cooperation in traditional areas such as trade, investment, connectivity, energy, and resources, and expand cooperation in emerging fields such as artificial intelligence, the digital economy, green industry, and green mining.
The same focus on development and people’s well-being was evident during Xi’s visit to Egypt. In a joint statement, China praised Egypt’s “Decent Life” initiative for its efforts to improve living standards, while Egypt expressed appreciation for China’s Global Development Initiative.
Xi has also stated, “People’s sense of gain must be the goal of both domestic and global governance, and we must continue to instill confidence and provide stable expectations for the people.”
In an article published ahead of his visit to Kyrgyzstan, Xi wrote about the ancient Silk Road as a testament to the long-standing friendship between the two peoples, citing stories of historical figures such as the diplomat Zhang Qian, the monk Xuanzang, and the poet Li Bai, whose legacies are seen as enhancing cultural exchanges between China and Kyrgyzstan.
During his visit to Egypt, accompanied by Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, Xi toured the Grand Egyptian Museum, where the heritage of ancient Egypt is showcased against the backdrop of pyramids dating back thousands of years.
Xi and el-Sisi, along with their wives, spent more than an hour touring the museum, which houses over 100,000 precious artifacts.
They walked through the main halls, posing for a commemorative photo in front of a colossal statue of Ramses II, one of Egypt’s most famous pharaohs, while staff provided brief explanations of pharaonic history.
Xi said, “This museum is like a book with endless pages.”
The museum visit also highlighted Xi’s longstanding emphasis on exchange and mutual learning among civilizations.
Over the years, Xi’s foreign trips have taken him to museums and historical sites, from the Amir Timur Museum in Uzbekistan to the ruins of the ancient Mayan city of Chichen Itza in Mexico. Within his own country, Xi has also invited foreign leaders to visit China’s historical sites, from the Forbidden City to the Dujiangyan irrigation system and the Temple of Heaven, which dates back more than 600 years.
At the Grand Egyptian Museum, Xi called on the two countries to enhance inclusive coexistence and mutual learning among different civilizations, and to mobilize greater strength from civilizations to advance the building of a shared future for mankind.
These remarks echoed Xi’s message to el-Sisi on the occasion of the museum’s opening last year, in which he pointed to the active cultural and people-to-people exchanges between the two countries, citing the successful exhibition on ancient Egyptian civilization in Shanghai and joint archaeological excavations at the pyramids of Saqqara south of Cairo.
Xi said, “It is encouraging to see the two ancient civilizations interacting with each other, and to witness the growing closeness between the two peoples through mutual understanding and familiarity.”
