40th Celebration for Kuwait and China
On 22 March 1971, Kuwait and China embarked on a journey of diplomatic ties that has now lasted forty years, and both countries are looking towards the future. A celebration to mark the successful relationship between China and Kuwait, in regard to trade, politics, culture and investment, was held and attended by dignitaries and invited guests. Both sides agreed that their continued successful relations are made possible by mutual respect, such as Kuwait supporting China’s policies for territorial veracity and national reunification that they protect. And looking at the trade volume, that has increased by sixty eight percent over the last year, to 8.45 billion U.S. dollars, is proof that their ties are growing stronger.
The celebratory event was held in Beijing and hosted by Huang Jiemin Al-Jarallah, the Chinese Ambassador to Kuwait. In his speech he noted that the date of the agreement between these two countries is significant, and was quoted saying “Forty years ago, the two leaderships took a sound decision to hold diplomatic ties, which reflected their fine wisdom and political insight, shooting from the two peoples’ mutual interest. By this, Kuwait became the first Arab country of the Gulf region to hold diplomatic ties with China.” He also mentioned that the relationship between the two countries has supported the development of infrastructures, commerce and energy, and that world history was made through their ties, by ten million tons of crude oil being imported by China from Kuwait. At present, there are also over twenty companies from China in Kuwait, assisting in economic growth, due to their operations. Cultural development between the two countries have also grown with agreements in regard to sport, education and healthcare being signed, and sixteen medical teams have traveled from China to Kuwait to lend their expertise and assistance to the country since 1976.
Huang went on to say that “Since 1982, Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development, had been beefing up Chinese-Kuwaiti ties, as it offered 34 loans to China so far, with a total value of USD 8.8 billion, all channeled to developmental and infrastructural projects, which strongly supported social and economic development, especially in poor areas, a thing that embodied warm feeling the Kuwaiti people has for the Chinese people. We will never forget that.” It was an evening that celebrated past achievements and started both countries off on the next forty years of diplomatic ties and development within China and Kuwait.
