KUWAIT CITY, Sept. 22 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese embassy in Kuwait held a reception on Sunday to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China in the presence of a large number of officials and diplomats.
During a speech at the opening ceremony, Chinese Ambassador to Kuwait Li Minggang said that the past 70 years have witnessed the united and determined efforts of the Chinese people, and have also seen the deep integration and close cooperation between China and the rest of the world.
"In the past 70 years, China, the once poverty-stricken country, has gone through reforms and opening up and set out towards prosperity and strength," Li said.
The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), proposed in 2013, opens the new space for world economic growth, builds new platforms for international trade and investment, the ambassador noted.
Li stressed Kuwait is one of the first Arab countries to sign cooperation documents under the BRI.
"China maintains Kuwait's largest source of imports and second largest export destination, and Kuwait's largest non-oil trade partner. Kuwait is one of the most important sources of China's crude oil imports," Li noted.
China is ready to work with Kuwait to better align the BRI with Kuwait Vision 2035, actively engage in the construction of major projects such as Kuwait's "Silk City and the Five Islands" development project, the ambassador added.
Kuwait Vision 2035 is a national development plan designed to introduce a change in Kuwait's oil-reliant economic structure and transform the oil-rich Gulf state into a trade and financial hub by 2035.
On the sidelines of the event, Kuwait's Deputy Foreign Minister Khaled Al-Jarallah stated that Kuwait established diplomatic relations with China in 1971, the first Gulf country to establish diplomatic relations with China.
During the Kuwaiti emir's visit to China in July last year, China and Kuwait agreed to establish strategic partnership to inject new impetus into bilateral ties and open up new prospects in the new era.
