Bishkek's streets decked out to welcome Xi's state visit

The streets of the Kyrgyz capital Bishkek are decked out with the national flags of China and Kyrgyzstan and welcoming messages, as the Central Asian country awaits the arrival of Chinese President Xi Jinping for a state visit.

Xi left Beijing on Sunday for the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Summit 2026 in Bishkek, and state visits to Kyrgyzstan and Egypt upon the invitations of President Sadyr Japarov of Kyrgyzstan and President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi of Egypt.

Xi's entourage includes his wife Peng Liyuan, Cai Qi, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and director of the General Office of the CPC Central Committee, and Wang Yi, a member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Chinese foreign minister.

At the Bishkek Summit, Xi will have in-depth exchanges of views with other participating leaders on deepening SCO cooperation in various fields under the new circumstances and major international and regional issues.

During his stay in Kyrgyzstan, Xi will hold talks with Japarov to have an in-depth exchange of views on bilateral relations, cooperation in key areas, and international and regional situation. He will also attend various state events.

Bishkek's streets decked out to welcome Xi's state visit

Bishkek's streets decked out to welcome Xi's state visit

A barrier lake formed upstream of the mudslide-hit Gyirong Port in southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region is currently stable with a low risk of sudden, complete breach, Ren Wei, executive vice chairman of the regional government said at a press conference on Sunday.

Sixteen people have been confirmed dead and 546 others remain missing as of 18:00 Saturday after the mudslide struck the port on the China-Nepal border on Wednesday, according to the regional government.

The most prominent risk hindering disaster response operations has been the barrier lake located directly above the port's core zone, according to Ren.

"Currently, a clear overflow channel has formed at the top of the barrier lake. Yesterday, the outflow volume generally exceeded the inflow volume, and the water surface level declined. Based on a comprehensive assessment, the overall situation of the barrier lake is relatively stable at present, and the risk of a sudden, complete breach is relatively small," he said.

A total of 2,141 rescue workers and 86 specialists have arrived at the area after the mudslide, which was triggered by the collapse of glacier on the Nepalese side at a higher elevation.

All-out efforts are being made to search and rescue people who are missing.

Barrier lake formed near Gyirong Port stable with low risk of breach: official