China and Kuwait mark 55th ’versary of friendship, trust

22/03/2026

March 22, 2026 marks the 55th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Kuwait. Over the past half century and more, China and Kuwait have forged a profound friendship across vast distance. We have constantly deepened cooperation no matter how the times change, setting a fine example of mutual understanding, mutual affinity and mutual benefit. China and Kuwait are good friends trusting each other.

The Chinese people will never forget Kuwait’s firm support for the restoration of the lawful seat of the People’s Republic of China in the United Nations, and highly appreciate Kuwait’s steadfast commitment to the one-China principle. China staunchly supported Kuwait’s sovereignty and independence during the invasion, and actively supported Kuwait in playing a constructive role at the United Nations and in other multilateral diplomatic activities.

In 2018, the two nations forged a strategic partnership. In recent years, H.E. President Xi Jinping and H.H. Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad Al- Jaber Al-Sabah Amir of Kuwait had two successful meetings and reached important consensus on the deepening of China- Kuwait strategic partnership, charting 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 provided strong support to China for its initial economic and social development, offering the largest amount of government concessional loans to China among the Arab countries. 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, will strongly underpin Kuwait’s national development strategy and make positive contributions to its economic and social development. As Kuwait steadily advances 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 are increasingly popular with Kuwaiti families.

China and Kuwait are good brothers sharing deep mutual affection. When China suffered natural disasters and serious epidemics, Kuwait has always given generous support to the Chinese people. Likewise, 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 visa-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. More and more Kuwaiti friends have come to know about China and be familiar with China through “China Travel”, while increasing numbers of Chinese people have visited Kuwait. 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, “True friendship never fades 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 two heads of state and with joint efforts of the two peoples, China-Kuwait relations will enjoy an even brighter future.

By HE Yang Xin Ambassador of China to Kuwait