March 22 this year marks the 55th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Kuwait. For more than half a century, China and Kuwait have defied the obstacles of mountains and oceans and forged ahead hand in hand. We have constantly deepened friendship and cooperation no matter how the times change, setting a fine example of mutual understanding, mutual affection and mutual benefit. 

China and Kuwait are good friends trusting each other. We Chinese people will never forget Kuwait’s firm support for the restoration of the People’s Republic of China’s lawful seat in the United Nations, and speak highly of Kuwait’s commitment to the one‑China principle. China staunchly supported Kuwait’s sovereignty and independence during the Gulf War, and actively supported Kuwait in playing a positive role at the U.N. and in other multilateral settings. In 2018, our two nations forged a strategic partnership. In recent years, H.E. President Xi Jinping and H.H. Amir Sheikh Meshal had two successful meetings where they reached important consensus on the deepening of China-Kuwait strategic partnership, drawing a new blueprint for the future of bilateral relations. Since the escalation of the situation in the Middle East on February 28, 2026, China has actively carried out diplomatic mediation, calling for an immediate stop to the military operations and a return to dialogue and negotiation as soon as possible. China supports Kuwait and other countries involved in safeguarding their respective sovereignty, security and territorial integrity.

China and Kuwait are good partners pursuing shared development. Kuwait has given China strong support for its initial economic and social development, making itself the Arab state offering the largest amount of government concessional loans to China. And China has been Kuwait’s largest trading partner for 11 consecutive years, with bilateral trade reaching 18.58 billion U.S. dollars in 2025. Under the framework of high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, Chinese enterprises have been actively engaged in the construction of major projects in Kuwait. At present, about 70 Chinese enterprises are operating in the country. Major cooperative projects such as the Mubarak Al Kabeer Port, have strongly underpinned Kuwait’s national development strategy and made positive contributions to its economic and social development. As Kuwait is steadily advancing the Kuwait Vision 2035, the potential of China-Kuwait cooperation in such sectors as industrial upgrade, green development and the digital and smart economy has been progressively unleashed. Products featuring intelligent manufacturing from China including automobiles, communications devices, and robotics have gained increasing presence among Kuwaiti families.

China and Kuwait are good brothers sharing a bond of brotherhood. When China suffered natural disasters and serious epidemics, Kuwait has always given generous support to the Chinese people in the affected areas. For Kuwait, China once dispatched professional teams to help Kuwait extinguish oil field fires. In recent years, with the increase in direct flights between the two countries and China’s unilateral vis-free policy for Kuwaiti citizens, people-to-people exchanges between the two sides have become increasingly frequent. The first China Cultural Center in the Gulf region was officially inaugurated in Kuwait in 2025. The Chinese medical team to Kuwait, the sole Chinese medical assistance team stationed in the Gulf region, has been serving in Kuwait for five decades, providing high-quality medical services to over one million local residents. Thanks to China’s visa-free policy, a growing number of Kuwaiti friends make China the destination of their journey abroad. Likewise, more Chinese people have travelled to Kuwait for exchange. Together, they have been an envoy for friendly exchanges between our two countries.

This year is the 55th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Kuwait. It is also the 70th anniversary of the beginning of diplomatic ties between China and Arab states. At this crucial juncture linking past achievements with future prospects, China will host the second China-Arab States Summit and the China-GCC Summit which will set longer-term goals, formulate more holistic plans and roll out more concrete measures for the future of China-Arab and China-GCC relations, and surely inject strong impetus into the growth of China-Kuwait relations. Arab friends often say, “Real friendship never changes with time.” In the past 55 years, China and Kuwait have worked together to promote cooperation and friendship, becoming good friends, good partners and good brothers that share weal and woe. I’m confident that under the strategic guidance of the heads of state of our two countries and with joint efforts of the two peoples, China-Kuwait relations are bound to have an even brighter future.