Kuwait sees China ties flourishing

Kuwait will closely track China's cooperation with Gulf nations and align its national development strategy to leverage further opportunities under the Belt and Road Initiative, while driving upward momentum to sustain bilateral ties with Beijing, said a senior Kuwaiti official.

As Kuwait advances its Vision 2035 — a blueprint to transform the Gulf state into a regional financial and trade hub — Sameeh Essa Johar Hayat, Kuwait's assistant foreign minister for Asian Affairs, told China Daily in an interview that China is the ideal partner to help turn this plan into reality.

The BRI, proposed by China in 2013, is a revival of the ancient Silk Road. "Every single thing China announces, we care about — because we are friends, and we want to strengthen our relationship in various aspects," he said.

The two countries signed a cooperation document in 2014 on jointly building the BRI. Over the past decade, they have achieved positive results in areas such as infrastructure construction, energy, investment and telecommunications. "So we follow the two sessions closely. When I served as Kuwait's ambassador to China (from 2016 to 2023), I paid close attention to the gatherings, then reported to Kuwait on the importance of following China's development concepts and roadmap. Whatever ideas come from China, we study them in depth," he said.

As 2026 marks the 55th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Kuwait, Hayat described it as a "year of achievements" that will further elevate the two countries' comprehensive strategic partnership.

Key projects of cooperation include the new headquarters of Kuwait's Central Bank and Sabah AlSalem University City, which have upgraded local infrastructure and improved people's well-being. China's telecommunications equipment provider Huawei has also partnered with Kuwait to help it become the first in the Middle East to achieve nationwide 5G coverage, fostering digital transformation in the region.

For the first time, he said, Kuwait is implementing large-scale joint projects with another government, starting with the Mubarak Al-Kabeer Port, a key Vision 2035 project valued at around $4 billion, with an annual handling capacity of 15 million TEUs and expected to create 5,000 local jobs.

"China has been Kuwait's largest trading partner for eight consecutive years, and I believe this momentum will continue," Hayat said, citing the booming presence of Chinese auto brands as a vivid illustration.

"There are 67 auto brands sold in Kuwait, 27 of which are Chinese — a stark contrast to seven or eight years ago. I also own a Chinese Hongqi car, which I really like," he said.

Energy cooperation remains the cornerstone of China-Kuwait ties. Kuwait is China's fifth-largest crude oil supplier, with one-third of its daily oil output exported to China. "We are living in a new era — an era of win-win cooperation with China," Hayat said.

Reflecting on China's development, Hayat hailed the country's modernization drive as a "miracle". Having witnessed China's transformation firsthand — from his first visit to Shenzhen in 1982 to his years living in China from 2016 — he said: "The China I saw in 1982 is completely different from what it is today. I believe China will keep surprising the world with its achievements."

Beyond economic cooperation, Hayat stressed the need for China to play a greater role in the Middle East — not only in advancing joint projects, but also in promoting regional stability.

The topic will be high on the agenda at the upcoming China-Arab States Summit and the China-Gulf Cooperation Council Summit, he said, as Kuwait will participate in both at the highest level. "Now more than ever, we need China's solutions — this should be an era of peace and development, not war," he said.