BEIJING, Aug. 22 (Xinhua) -- The visit of Chinese Vice Premier Zhang Gaoli to Kuwait will mark the deepening of ties between the two nations, Kuwaiti Ambassador to China Sameeh Johar Hayat said.

The visit, starting Monday, will involve the signing of a number of agreements, the ambassador told Xinhua.

Zhang is the highest-level Chinese official to visit Kuwait in nearly a decade, and his visit is of great significance as to both regional and international situations, according to Hayat.

He revealed that during the visit, Zhang will meet with Kuwaiti Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah and Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabah, as well as First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Sabah Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah.

The two sides will discuss political and economic cooperation and bring trade and investment cooperation to a higher level, he said.

Noting that Kuwait is one of the countries investing the most in China in the Arab world, the ambassador expressed hopes that the visit will expand cooperation between the two countries.

The two countries established diplomatic relations in 1971. Kuwait was among the first Arab countries to sign a cooperation agreement with China under the Belt and Road Initiative, as well as one of the founding members of the China-initiated Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank.

Trade between China and Kuwait reached 5.47 billion U.S. dollars in the first half of this year, up 28.6 year on year. In 2016, bilateral trade was 9.37 billion dollars.

Kuwait is Zhang's first stop of a four-nation tour from Aug. 21 to 29, which will also take him to Saudi Arabia, Sudan and Namibia.