How China-Kyrgyzstan 'golden' ties deliver for both nations and beyond

Construction of the China–Kyrgyzstan–Uzbekistan railway is ramping up in Central Asia, with work on the Kyrgyz section, which accounts for nearly 60% of the total length, advancing in full swing on the flagship project of the Belt and Road Initiative.

Highlighting the project's broader impact, Chinese President Xi Jinping said on Monday that China's major cooperation projects with Kyrgyzstan, including the railway, have progressed steadily in recent years, providing effective support for the development of both countries, benefiting their peoples and promoting peace, stability and prosperity in the region.

In his talks with Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov, Xi said that China stands ready to work with Kyrgyzstan to better align development strategies, deepen exchanges of experience in governance, deliver more tangible and accessible outcomes of practical cooperation and make substantive progress in building a China-Kyrgyzstan community with a shared future. 'Golden' period in bilateral ties Upon landing in Bishkek on Sunday for a state visit to Kyrgyzstan, Xi said in a written statement that bilateral cooperation has entered a "golden" period of rapid development.

Mirroring Xi's assessment in their talks a day later, Japarov affirmed that bilateral relations have entered a "golden" period and stand at their highest level in history, calling China "Kyrgyzstan's closest friend and most reliable partner." Xi said in his opening remarks that under their guidance, bilateral relations have made a leap forward, with cooperation flourishing across all areas in recent years.

China has long been Kyrgyzstan's top trading partner and largest source of foreign direct investment.

Trade figures highlight this growing economic momentum: bilateral trade in 2025 reached a record $27.2 billion, up 19.8% year on year.

That trajectory continued into 2026, with trade hitting $11.7 billion from January through July, driven by strong growth in Chinese "new three" exports – electric vehicles, lithium-ion batteries and photovoltaic products – as well as mechanical and electrical goods to the central Asian country; and cumulative Chinese direct investment in Kyrgyzstan crossed the $2 billion mark by the end of July 2026, data of China's Commerce Ministry shows.

The two sides on Monday signed more than 20 cooperation agreements across science and technology, education, people-to-people and cultural exchanges and media, and exchanged texts of bilateral documents covering investment, transportation, customs and sister‑city partnerships.