China and Kuwait agree to establish strategic partnership

Chinese President Xi Jinping held talks with Kuwaiti Emir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah on Monday, which ended with the two countries agreeing to establish a strategic partnership.

Under the strategic partnership framework, China and Kuwait will maintain and strengthen high-level exchanges and communication in order to expand consensus and deepen political trust, reports state-run news agency Xinhua.

The two countries will also support each other on issues concerning both sovereignty and territorial integrity.

In addition, they agreed to promote the Belt and Road initiative and incorporate it with the ‘Kuwait Vision for 2035’, a long-term national development plan. They will also work together to establish a free trade area between China and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) as soon as possible.

Further, China and Kuwait plan to enhance their cooperation on trade, economy, people-to-people communication, security and culture.

Kuwaiti Emir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah arrived for his seventh visit to China on July 7 and will leave later today.

Before flying home, he plans to attend the opening ceremony of the eighth ministerial meeting of the China-Arab States Cooperation Forum in Beijing.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Arab League Secretary General Ahmed Aboul Gheit, along with foreign ministers and representatives from 21 Arabic countries, will attend the meeting.