By Abdullah Al-Enezi
SHENZHEN, China, Oct 23 (KUNA) -- Cultural ties between the wider Arab region and China should be on par with political and economic relations, said Kuwait News Agency's (KUNA) Editor-in-Chief Saad Al-Ali on Tuesday.
Heading a Kuwaiti delegation amid a visit to the world's most populous nation, Al-Ali, who is also the Deputy Director General for KUNA's Editorial Sector, said it is time to reach out to Beijing on the cultural and educational fronts.
He pinpointed His Highness the Amir of Kuwait Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah's recent visit to China as the catalyst that helped reinvigorate bilateral relations, hoping for "more progress" in cultural and educational ties.
KUNA's editor-in-chief expressed his admiration over the meteoric growth the Chinese port city of Shenzhen has witnessed in the span of a few years.
The Kuwaiti contingent were warmly welcomed by China Development Institute's (CDI) Vice President Qu Jian, who said that the Chinese organization is capable of transforming the most desolate of places into industrial hubs.
He added that the Chinese institute is "willing and able" to contribute towards Kuwait's development plans, citing a number of huge infrastructure projects the country has in store.
Kuwait enjoys various advantages, chiefly, its strategic location and warm ties with the world's superpowers, Qu added, describing the Gulf state as among the most stable and safe in the region.
Liu Rongxin, CDI's Executive Director for Regional and Development Planning, hailed the Chinese organization as among the prominent research bodies in the world, having earned global accreditation for its work.
She went on to say that, the Chinese research body has had positive experiences in Kuwait and the Gulf region, helping draw up economic plans for countries all over the globe. (end) aa.nam