KUWAIT CITY, Feb 13 (NNN-KUNA) – The Chinese Embassy in Kuwait hosted a ceremony yesterday, to mark 60 years since the late Emir, Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah’s historic visit to China, alongside Chinese New Year celebrations.
The event opened with a documentary chronicling the evolution of China-Kuwait relations, since the former Kuwaiti leader’s visit in Feb, 1965, when he served as Kuwait’s minister of finance, trade, and industry. The visit is widely regarded as a cornerstone in establishing bilateral ties.
Chinese Ambassador, Zhang Jianwei, said, the past six decades had brought “remarkable progress” in political trust, economic ties, and cultural exchanges. Kuwait, he noted, was the first Gulf Arab state to establish diplomatic ties with China in 1971, and backed China’s return to the United Nations.
Zhang also reaffirmed China’s commitment to “working closely with Kuwait, to implement the important consensuses reached by our leaders, and elevate our bilateral relations to new heights that serve the fundamental interests of both peoples.”
Kuwait’s Deputy Foreign Minister, Sheikh Jarrah Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, called Sheikh Jaber’s visit a “pioneering diplomatic initiative” that laid the foundation for a strategic partnership. He emphasised Kuwait’s role in China’s regional engagement.
The event included the “China-Kuwait Friendship Awards,” recognising contributions to bilateral ties. Former Kuwaiti ambassadors to China received the “Distinguished Merit Award,” while a Chinese medical team in Kuwait was honoured for its healthcare contributions.– NNN-KUNA
