Putin, Xi hold talks in Kyrgyzstan as regional summit begins

East Asia "Cooperation is successfully developing on all fronts," Russian President Vladimir Putin said to his Chinese counterpart. Russia's President Vladimir Putin and China's President Xi Jinping shake hands during a meeting on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Bishkek on Aug 31, 2026. (Photo: Pool via AFP) 31 Aug 2026 10:59PM (Updated: 31 Aug 2026 11:11PM) BISHKEK: Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping began talks on Monday (Aug 31) in Kyrgyzstan, where a dozen other heads of state also gathered for a two-day summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), which seeks to be a counterbalance to the West.Iran's leader Masoud Pezeshkian, Turkey's Recep Tayyip Erdogan, India's Narendra Modi and Pakistan's Shehbaz