BEIJING: Peng Liyuan, wife of Chinese President Xi Jinping, and Aigul Japarova, wife of Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov, visited the National Historical Museum of the Kyrgyz Republic on Monday, highlighting the role of cultural exchanges in bringing the peoples of the two countries closer.
As they viewed traditional costumes, carpets and other cultural artifacts, Peng said both China and Kyrgyzstan attach great importance to preserving and passing down their rich cultural heritage. She expressed the hope that the two countries will continue to expand people-to-people and cultural exchanges and further enhance bonds between their peoples.
Over the years, China-Kyrgyzstan people-to-people exchanges have become an important pillar of bilateral relations. The two countries have continued to expand the scope and depth of cultural cooperation, with notable achievements in heritage preservation, education and tourism.
One landmark example is the Silk Roads: the Routes Network of Chang’an-Tianshan Corridor, which was jointly submitted by China, Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan and added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2014.
Stretching from central China to Central Asia, the route represents centuries of exchanges in trade, culture and ideas.
It was China’s first transnational joint World Heritage nomination and the first Silk Road corridor to be included on the list.
Moreover, in September last year, the China-Kyrgyzstan Belt and Road Joint Laboratory on Cultural Heritage Conservation was officially approved for construction, providing a new platform for research and cooperation on cultural relic preservation.
Beyond heritage protection, cultural ties are also reflected in growing educational exchanges.
In recent years, interest in learning Chinese has surged in Kyrgyzstan. The number of Kyrgyz candidates taking the Chinese Proficiency Test (HSK) in 2025 was three times higher than in 2021, making the country one of the most active participants in HSK testing in Central Asia. Chinese learners now include not only university students, but also civil servants, business professionals and skilled workers seeking new opportunities.
China has established four Confucius Institutes and 21 Confucius Classrooms in Kyrgyzstan, while cooperation programs such as cross-border e-commerce institutes are providing local students and workers with language training and professional skills.
Tourism has also become another bridge connecting the two peoples. In 2024, the number of Chinese visitors to Kyrgyzstan increased 56% year on year. In 2025, the two countries signed a memorandum to facilitate group tourism, with Kyrgyzstan introducing 21-day visa-free entry for Chinese tourist groups.
Meanwhile, Kyrgyz citizens can now benefit from China’s 240-hour visa-free transit policy and a 30-day visa-free entry policy for Hainan. Air China also launched three additional weekly direct flights between Beijing and Bishkek in July, making travel between the two countries more convenient.
The deepening cultural ties between China and Kyrgyzstan offer a vivid example of how exchanges among civilizations can foster mutual understanding and trust.
In March 2023, Chinese President Xi Jinping proposed the Global Civilization Initiative (GCI), calling for greater exchanges and mutual learning among civilizations and encouraging countries to respect cultural diversity.
At a time of rising global uncertainty and increasing tensions, the question of how different civilizations can coexist peacefully and learn from one another has become increasingly important. More and more people are recognizing the significance of the GCI in enhancing understanding, building mutual trust and easing conflicts.
Mars Sariev, a Kyrgyz political scientist, said the principles behind the Shanghai Spirit – including respect for diverse civilizations – closely align with the GCI.
“China-Central Asia cooperation also emphasizes mutual respect, mutual trust, mutual benefit and mutual assistance,” Sariev said, adding that these principles provide common ground for promoting dialogue among civilizations. –The Daily Mail-CGTN news exchange item
