Xi Jinping to visit Kyrgyzstan and Egypt from Sunday

Chinese President Xi Jinping will attend a Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in Bishkek and make state visits to Kyrgyzstan and Egypt from Sunday, China's foreign ministry said Wednesday.

The tour is scheduled to last until September 3. It will be Xi's second overseas trip this year after a visit to North Korea in June.

In Egypt, Xi will meet President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi. Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Lin Jian said the talks were aimed at “making a positive contribution to safeguarding peace and stability in the region”.

Egypt's presidency said Sisi and Xi would discuss ways to strengthen the strategic partnership between the two countries across areas of mutual interest. It said they would also exchange views on regional and international issues.

Lin said Xi's first state visit to Egypt in 10 years “holds special significance for the development of bilateral ties”.

The visit comes as Iran and the United States remain locked in a conflict that has spread across the Middle East and choked off shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, disrupting global oil markets. China has significant economic ties to the Middle East, which was its top source of crude oil imports before the war.

In Kyrgyzstan, Xi will attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit with other member states, including Russia and Iran. He will also hold talks with Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov on cooperation and development between the two countries.