BISHKEK, August 30 (Xinhua) — On Sunday, a long red carpet stretched across the tarmac of Manas International Airport, with flags fluttering in the wind. Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov and his wife arrived early to welcome Chinese President Xi Jinping and his wife, Peng Liyuan. After President Xi and his wife descended the aircraft stairs, the two heads of state greeted each other with a firm handshake. "You are part of the family," Japarov told Xi. "When you come to Kyrgyzstan, it is as if you are coming home." Xi arrived in Bishkek on Sunday for the 2026 Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit and a state visit to Kyrgyzstan. The welcome ceremony followed local traditions. Young Kyrgyz women presented Xi and his wife with traditional pastries and honey, greeting the distinguished guests according to an ancient Kyrgyz custom. In a written speech released upon his arrival, Xi stated that China and Kyrgyzstan share an ancient traditional friendship, and that the majestic Tianshan mountains can testify to millennia of friendly exchanges between their peoples. Xi said that during this visit, he would have in-depth exchanges with Japarov on Sino-Kyrgyz relations, cooperation between the two countries in various fields, as well as on international and regional issues of common interest, to chart a new roadmap for building a community of shared future between China and Kyrgyzstan. Linked by mountains and rivers, and closely united by common interests, China and Kyrgyzstan have always supported each other over the years, providing mutual support and achieving many successes together. This is Xi's third visit to Kyrgyzstan. In September 2013, Xi made his first state visit to Kyrgyzstan, during which the two countries announced the establishment of a strategic partnership. Over the past decade and more, Sino-Kyrgyz relations have traveled a historic path, evolving from a strategic partnership to a comprehensive strategic partnership, then to a comprehensive strategic partnership for a new era. Old friends stay in touch. Just last year, Xi met with Japarov on three occasions. The two leaders reached important consensus on deepening the comprehensive strategic partnership between China and Kyrgyzstan for a new era and on building a community of shared future between China and Kyrgyzstan, based on good neighborliness, friendship and shared prosperity, opening a new chapter in bilateral relations. As the two couples walked together on the red carpet, admiring a series of traditional Kyrgyz cultural demonstrations, including performances featuring traditional musical instruments, falcons and hunting dogs, as well as an ensemble of traditional warriors, horsemen and yurts, Japarov took time to explain each performance to Xi. Inside the airport's VIP lounge, Kyrgyz children and young people sang Chinese songs in Mandarin for the guests, offering them a warm and sincere welcome. Among the crowd welcoming President Xi was Sadat, a 19-year-old student, who expressed delight at seeing Xi and wished him a peaceful and memorable stay. The songs, traditional performances and smiles along the red carpet all testified to the close ties binding the two peoples — a friendship with deep roots that continues to flourish through frequent exchanges and close connections.