Chinese President Xi Jinping will attend a regional summit in Bishkek and pay state visits to Kyrgyzstan and Egypt from Sunday, according to Beijing's foreign ministry. The ministry announced the visit on Wednesday.

In Egypt, Xi is scheduled to meet President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi for talks aimed at "making a positive contribution to safeguarding peace and stability in the region," said foreign ministry spokesman Lin Jian. Egypt's presidency said Sisi and Xi would discuss "ways to strengthen the strategic partnership between the two countries across a range of areas of mutual interest." The leaders would also "exchange views on a number of regional and international issues," the presidency said.

The visit takes place as Iran and the United States remain locked in a conflict that has spilled over across the Middle East and choked off shipping through the vital Strait of Hormuz.