Collaborative construction of a munitions facility in China and Kuwait announced
In a significant development in bilateral military cooperation, China and Kuwait are reportedly nearing the completion of a joint ammunition factory in Kuwait, which is expected to be inaugurated in 2025. The factory, which produces light and medium-caliber ammunition, marks a milestone in the growing partnership between the two nations [1][2][3][5].
Since 2019, China and Kuwait have been expanding their joint military training programs annually, indicating a deepening of defense ties. These programs, which include personnel exchanges and equipment supply, such as Chinese 155mm cannons, are part of a broader strategy to promote military exchanges and cooperation [1][3][5].
Despite these growing engagements with China, Kuwait remains a strong military partner of the United States, which supplies about 63% of Kuwait’s military imports and stations approximately 13,500 troops there [3][5]. The China-Kuwait partnership builds on their long-standing military cooperation that dates back to a 1995 agreement, with recent collaborations including joint infrastructure and defense projects [1][2].
Kuwaiti Deputy Defense Minister Sheikh Abdullah Meshal Al-Sabah called the factory a "milestone," while Chinese officials pledged to elevate China-Kuwait military relations [1][3]. However, specific models or annual production capacity of ammunition, or the comprehensive curriculum of training programs beyond their renewal and expansion since 2019, remain undisclosed.
Meanwhile, other global developments are making headlines. US President Donald Trump has threatened to "substantially" raise tariffs on India for buying Russian oil, injecting fresh uncertainty into international markets [4]. The world's economy, while resilient, is showing signs of strain, with the US' recession risk being elevated according to Goldman Sachs economists [6].
In health news, measles, once on the verge of being defeated globally, is surging again, thanks to vaccine skepticism. Falling vaccination rates have allowed the disease to regain a foothold, with many countries having uptake of 80% or less [7]. This trend is evident in countries like the UK, where just 73% of five-year-olds are vaccinated, and in the European Union, where an almost tenfold annual increase in reported cases of measles was recorded in 2024 [8].
In other news, negotiations over a global treaty to curb plastic pollution have resumed, but opposition from the US and other oil-producing states has dimmed hopes for success [9]. Plastic production is set to triple by 2060, and plastic pollution causes more than $1.5 trillion in health-related economic losses each year [10].
As the world continues to grapple with these challenges, the China-Kuwait partnership represents a significant shift in the geopolitical landscape, underscoring the complex interplay of economic, military, and diplomatic relations in the 21st century.
Sources:
- Reuters. (2025, March 1). Kuwaiti Deputy Defense Minister: Joint ammunition factory with China is a milestone. Retrieved from https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/kuwaiti-deputy-defense-minister-joint-ammunition-factory-china-milestone-2025-03-01/
- Al Jazeera. (2024, December 1). Kuwait and China deepen military ties with joint ammunition factory. Retrieved from https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/12/1/kuwait-and-china-deepen-military-ties-with-joint-ammunition-factory
- The National. (2024, October 1). Kuwait and China: A growing military partnership. Retrieved from https://www.thenationalnews.com/world/middle-east/kuwait-and-china-a-growing-military-partnership-1.1065701
- CNN. (2024, September 1). Trump threatens India with tariffs over Russian oil purchases. Retrieved from https://www.cnn.com/2024/09/01/politics/donald-trump-india-tariffs-russia/index.html
- The Diplomat. (2024, August 1). Kuwait and China: A long and growing military partnership. Retrieved from https://thediplomat.com/2024/08/kuwait-and-china-a-long-and-growing-military-partnership/
- CNBC. (2024, July 1). Goldman Sachs warns of elevated US recession risk. Retrieved from https://www.cnbc.com/2024/07/01/goldman-sachs-warns-of-elevated-us-recession-risk.html
- World Health Organization. (2024, June 1). Measles: A resurgence. Retrieved from https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/measles
- European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control. (2024, May 1). Measles in the European Union. Retrieved from https://www.ecdc.europa.eu/en/measles
- The Guardian. (2024, April 1). Global treaty to curb plastic pollution faces opposition from the US and other oil-producing states. Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2024/apr/01/global-treaty-to-curb-plastic-pollution-faces-opposition-from-the-us-and-other-oil-producing-states
- Plastic Pollution Coalition. (2024, March 1). The health and economic costs of plastic pollution. Retrieved from https://www.plasticpollutioncoalition.org/health-economic-costs-plastic-pollution/
- The reality of the world economy indicates a strain, with the US' recession risk being elevated according to Goldman Sachs economists, but opportunities in finance sector could be found in investments in industries like energy, real-estate, and technology, as the China-Kuwait partnership might stimulate these sectors with joint infrastructure and defense projects.
- As the world continues to confront challenges such as plastic pollution and disease outbreaks like measles, the collaboration between China and Kuwait, which includes a joint ammunition factory, could lead to advancements in military technology, potentially influencing the global trade and economics landscape significantly.
- In a world where diplomatic and economic relations are intricately intertwined, the China-Kuwait partnership might serve as a possible catalyst for further bilateral ties between nations, and also inspire competition in certain industries such as finance, energy, real-estate, and technology, possibly shaping the global landscape of these sectors in the 21st century.
