Military and Economic Partnership: What Bishkek and Beijing Agreed On

Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan – Kyrgyzstan and China are deepening their strategic partnership, with a focus on bolstering military and economic ties. The recent meeting between Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers Adylbek Kasymaliev and China's Minister of Defense, State Councilor Admiral Dong Jun, in Bishkek underscores the growing alignment between the two nations. This high-level exchange, held at the Yntymak Ordo, highlighted the significant intensification of bilateral relations in recent years, a trajectory set by Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov and Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Kasymaliev emphasized Kyrgyzstan's unwavering commitment to its relationship with China, designating it as a key strategic partner. He expressed a strong desire to further enhance cooperation across various sectors, including trade, economy, science, technology, culture, humanitarian affairs, and crucially, security and defense. This reflects Kyrgyzstan's strategic positioning and its reliance on Chinese investment, which has played a vital role in the country's steady economic growth over the past five years.

Admiral Dong Jun, conveying greetings from Premier Li Qiang, reaffirmed Beijing's keen interest in expanding this multifaceted cooperation. His presence in Bishkek was particularly significant as he attended the meeting of Defense Ministers of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), a forum where Kyrgyzstan will assume the chairmanship in 2026. This dual focus on bilateral relations and multilateral security cooperation within the SCO framework highlights the interconnectedness of Kyrgyzstan's foreign policy objectives and its role within the broader regional security architecture. The discussions also provided an opportunity to introduce Dong Jun, China's first naval-background defense minister, whose appointment signals Beijing's increasing emphasis on maritime strategy and security.

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Kyrgyzstan attaches particular importance to developing cooperation with China and views it as one of its key strategic partners. We aim to further deepen cooperation in trade and economic, scientific and technical, cultural and humanitarian spheres, as well as in security and defense.