Chinese President Xi Jinping returned to Beijing on Thursday after attending the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Summit 2026 in Bishkek and concluding state visits to Kyrgyzstan and Egypt. The diplomatic tour, which ran from August 30 to September 3, focused on solidarity and cooperation amid growing international turbulence.

Foreign Minister Wang Yi stated that the visits aimed to build a community with a shared future and uphold fairness in global governance. He noted that the SCO Summit injected vitality into regional development, while the bilateral engagements strengthened ties with key neighbors and strategic partners.

SCO Summit Outcomes

The SCO Summit wrapped up in Bishkek on Tuesday with the signing of the Bishkek Declaration. Member states approved protocols on amendments to the SCO Charter and regulations for the SCO Universal Center for Countering Security Challenges and Threats and the SCO Anti-drug Center. Leaders also adopted 28 outcome documents covering security, economic, and people-to-people cooperation.

Xi highlighted the organization's 25th founding anniversary, noting that safeguarding sovereignty and security remains a shared consensus. He proposed four commitments: prioritizing development, fostering common security, adopting a people-centered approach, and striving for equitable governance through dialogue.

Bilateral Engagements

During the state visit to Kyrgyzstan, China and Kyrgyzstan signed a joint declaration on high-quality development of their comprehensive strategic partnership and a bilateral treaty on permanent good-neighborliness. Wang Yi described the treaty as the most significant political outcome, reflecting strategic mutual trust that transcends short-term interests.

The visit to Egypt marked the 70th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries. Xi raised a four-point proposal on building a new security architecture in the Middle East based on common, comprehensive, cooperative, and sustainable security. Wang Yi noted that the Belt and Road Initiative aligns with Egypt Vision 2030, charting a new blueprint for mutually beneficial cooperation.

The 26th Meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) commenced in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, on September 1, 2026. As the organization marks its 25th anniversary, Chinese President Xi Jinping emphasized prioritizing development and shared prosperity among member states.

Xi arrived in Bishkek for a state visit and the summit. On the sidelines, he met with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, and Mongolian President Ukhnaa Khurelsukh. SCO Secretary-General Nurlan Yermekbayev stated that China has played a constructive role in the organization's development over its first 25 years.

From security to comprehensive cooperation

From six founding members, the SCO has grown into the world's largest regional organization, with 27 countries participating in cooperation across more than 50 areas. It accounts for about half of the world's population and roughly a quarter of the global economy.

Djoomart Otorbaev, former prime minister of Kyrgyzstan, described the transformation: "What began as a forum for settling borders among founding members has, step by step, become the largest regional organization in the world by landmass, population, and GDP."

Kubat Rakhimov, executive director of Applicata - Centre for Strategic Solutions in Bishkek, said the SCO's most significant achievement is "not merely its survival amid a turbulent international landscape, but its unwavering commitment to the 'Shanghai Spirit,' featuring mutual trust, mutual benefit, equality, consultation, respect for diversity of civilizations, and pursuit of common development."

Prioritizing development and shared prosperity

During his speech at the summit, Xi put forward four proposals for advancing the SCO's future development. He highlighted the Shanghai Spirit as the organization's most valuable spiritual asset.

China views the SCO as a priority area for high-quality Belt and Road cooperation and for implementing the Global Development Initiative. Xi announced that China would continue hosting events such as the SCO Digital Economy Forum and the SCO Agricultural Expo. Additionally, China plans to develop an international AI application cooperation center with SCO countries, implement 100 technological cooperation projects with other SCO countries in the next three years, and nurture more green industry talents through China-SCO cooperation.

Economic and trade cooperation

The depth of China-SCO economic ties is reflected in trade and investment data shared at a Chinese Commerce Ministry press conference on August 27.

As of July 2025, China's accumulated investment in other SCO member states had exceeded $84 billion, making it the largest source of investment and financing for Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, and Pakistan. China's direct investment in other SCO members reached $3.3 billion in 2025, covering oil and gas, mining, infrastructure, new energy, automobiles, and chemicals.

Various cooperation platforms are facilitating closer economic exchanges. Last month, a local economic and trade cooperation conference in Bishkek brought together more than 100 companies, resulting in 193 cooperation agreements and trade deals worth around 1.74 billion yuan ($259 million). The China-SCO Digital Economy Cooperation Platform, launched in Tianjin one year ago, has facilitated 29 cross-border cooperation projects covering computing infrastructure, digital trade, and commercial aerospace.

Connectivity and green cooperation

Major connectivity projects, including the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway, are progressing to ensure supply chain security. Construction officially began in December 2024. Once completed, the route will become a major transport corridor linking China with Central Asia and the wider Eurasian continent.

On-the-ground cooperation is visible in Bishkek, where 120 China-made electric buses produced by Anhui Ankai Automobile Co have entered regular commercial operation, serving eight major routes. Each bus travels more than 200 kilometres and carries around 900 passengers per day on average.

Green energy projects are also expanding. In Uzbekistan's Jizzakh Region, Phase I of a vast solar farm built and operated by a Chinese company began commercial operations in March. Once fully completed, the project is expected to generate 1.1 billion kilowatt-hours of clean electricity annually, enough to meet the needs of around 400,000 residents. Additionally, the Bishkek waste-to-energy project, which began operations in December 2025, represents the first such plant in Kyrgyzstan and Central Asia.

Global governance and institutional frameworks

The Bishkek Summit follows the SCO Summit 2025 in Tianjin, where member states adopted the SCO Development Strategy for 2026-2035. The political decision to establish an SCO Development Bank was also made at the Tianjin Summit, with parties accelerating consultations on the bank's governance structure and capital size. Kubat Rakhimov credited China's leadership for breaking a long-standing deadlock on the multilateral financial institution.

The Global Governance Initiative, introduced at the Tianjin Summit, has gained support from nearly 160 countries and international organizations, with more than 60 countries joining the Group of Friends of Global Governance. Egor Prokhin, a researcher at Russia's Higher School of Economics, said China has played a central role in the SCO's development, noting that the Belt and Road Initiative and Global Development Initiative closely align with the development priorities of SCO members.