The Chinese Embassy opened a new Chinese Cultural Center during which Chinese Ambassador, H.E Chang Jianwei expressed his country’s commitment to enhancing cooperation with Kuwait in various fields. Further stating that Kuwait is an ideal partner in joint construction and emphasized that the cultural center would become an important platform for enhancing cultural exchanges between China and Kuwait.
The opening of the cultural center coincided with the fifth anniversary of the establishment of strategic relations between China and Kuwait and the tenth anniversary of the launch of the Belt and Road Initiative. Jianwei also noted that the past decade has seen Sino-Kuwaiti strategic partnership relations develop steadily and overcome the challenges of the pandemic, with the traditional friendship between the two countries becoming more deeply rooted in the hearts of the two peoples.
Chang highlighted that Kuwait was the first Gulf country to establish diplomatic relations with China and the first Arab country to initiate a memorandum of understanding regarding joint construction of the Belt and Road Initiative. Kuwait also provided China with the highest preference government loans of any Arab country.
The Chinese ambassador reiterated China’s commitment to the Belt and Road Initiative. He noted that despite the distance between China and Kuwait, the two countries share similar developmental concepts and enjoy strong economic integration. Kuwait’s location also adds to its significance as a partner in joint construction.
Chang noted that Kuwait’s vision for 2035 seeks to develop a diversified and sustainable economy, which is largely in line with the Belt and Road Initiative. He further highlighted Kuwait’s growing interest in Chinese language and culture as evidenced by the increased number of visas issued by the embassy.
The ambassador added that the cultural and human exchanges between the two countries have become more diverse in recent years. He considered that Sino-Kuwaiti cooperation continues to make new progress in investment, finance, and digitalization. Currently, about 60 Chinese companies operate in Kuwait and have participated in more than 80 projects.
Since the beginning of this year, an increasing number of Kuwaitis have traveled to China, with the number of visas issued by the embassy in the first six months increasing by 30 times compared to the same period last year. This increase reflects Kuwaiti’s growing interest in Chinese language and culture, and the embassy is now overseeing four direct flights per week from Kuwait City to Guangzhou, making economic and trade exchanges between China and Kuwait even easier.
In conclusion, the opening of the Chinese Cultural Center serves as a testament to the strength of the relationship between the two countries. The center will play a critical role in promoting cultural exchanges and deepening Sino-Kuwaiti relations.