Chinese Amb. extolls distinguished relations with Kuwait

KUWAIT, China's Ambassador to Kuwait Zhang Jianwei commended Monday the mutually-beneficial relations between his country and Kuwait in a variety of domains, particularly their cooperation in building and developing the Silk Road Economic Belt. Speaking at a symposium organized by the Chinese News Agency (Xinhua) in collaboration with the Chinese Embassy in Kuwait, Ambassador Jianwei pointed out that Kuwait is the first country in the Middle East to sign an agreement with China for joining its ambitious Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) in 2014. The BRI is a strategy initiated by China to connect Asia with Africa and Europe via land and maritime networks with the aim of improving regional integration, increasing trade and stimulating economic growth. Ambassador Jianwei hailed the steady growth in trade exchange between China and Kuwait since 2013. "The volume of trade exchange between the two countries skyrocketed from USD 12.5 billion in 2013 to USD 22.39 billion in 2023, making China the largest trade part ner of Kuwait since 2015," he boasted. He noted that Chinese companies are also executing energy, housing, infrastructure, and others projects in Kuwait. Moreover, China has opened a cultural center in Kuwait for boosting cultural exchange and educating Kuwaiti citizens and residents about the Chinese culture in its diversity, the Chinese envoy said. He recalled His Highness the Amir Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah's milestone visit to China in September 2023, when he was the Crown Prince, and his talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping. This visit ushered in a new phase of cooperation for pushing forward the Belt and Road Initiative and showed both countries' determination to harmonize the Belt and Road Initiative and the Kuwait National Vision 2035, he clarified. He added that the two countries also signed memoranda of cooperation in other domains such as renewable energy, infrastructure and environmental governance. "Talks are ongoing to accelerate the implementation of projects agreed upon by the leaders of the two countries during this visit," Ambassador Jianwei concluded. Source: Kuwait News Agency