Kuwait City, 6 December 2021 (TDI): Kuwait’s agenda for Monday starting at noon brought together the Kuwaiti diplomatic corps for side meetings. In this way, they met with European, African, and Gulf ambassadors to discuss the bilateral relations of their states. Also, the strategies to make their cooperative efforts viable. However, the gathering between Mishaal Al-Shamali, Consul General of Kuwait in Shanghai, with Gu Jinshan, Director of Shanghai International Ports, was the one that attracted the most attention.
Kuwait – China Foreign Relations
Kuwait was the first Gulf Arab State that establishes diplomatic relations with China. Therefore, since 1955, civil trade started between both nations. Nowadays, trade volume between China and Kuwait is significant. For example, in August 2021, China exported $366M and imported $1.55B from Kuwait. Besides, Kuwait exported $12.1B to China in the same year.Â
In addition, based on their friendship, the Kuwaiti government donated US$ 3 million in cash in support of the Chinese government’s crisis due to a natural disaster. In addition, China recognized Kuwait as the largest supplier of preferential official loans in the Arab world. It is important to mention that all the loans were granted to China with favorable conditions through the Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development.Â
As for today’s meeting between the Consul General of Kuwait in Shanghai and the Director of Shanghai International Ports Group, a large-scale specialized conglomerate, it consolidates the foreign relations between the two states. It also reinforces the synergy between the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and Kuwait Vision 2035 (KV2035).
Kuwait’s meetings agenda
On the contrary, and concerning the Kuwaiti agenda, the State diplomatic corps met with Carlo Balducci, Ambassador of the Republic of Italy in the State of Kuwait. In addition to that, the ambassadors of Turkey, Oman, and Albania in the State of Kuwait attended meetings with Deputy Ministers of Foreign Affairs of International Organizations, European Affairs, and Consular Affairs, respectively. Not to mention that previously, Miguel Moro Aguila, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Spain in Kuwait joined a meeting with the Acting Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs for Consular Affairs of Kuwait.
