Xi resumes overseas diplomacy with SCO summit, Egypt visit after quiet year

Xi Jinping's first overseas trip in months, to the SCO summit in Bishkek and then Egypt, signals a return to active multilateral diplomacy after a year of limited foreign travel. The meetings with Putin and Pezeshkian could reinforce alignment among SCO members amid ongoing tensions with the West. The trip underscores China's push to sustain influence in Central Asia and the Middle East.