On April 18, 2009, Chinese President Hu Jintao and Bahrain's King Hamad bin Issa al-Khalifa exchanged congratulatory messages to mark the 20th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between the two countries.

In his message, Hu said that China-Bahrain relations have developed smoothly on the basis of the five principles of peaceful co-existence since the establishment of diplomatic ties 20 years ago. The two sides have trusted and supported each other politically, their trade cooperation is fruitful and ever-expanding, their exchanges are multifaceted and unique, and their coordination in multilateral affairs is intimate, Hu said. China appreciates Bahrain's adherence to the friendly policy towards China and the one-China policy, as well as its devotion to promoting the friendship and cooperation between China and the Arab world, he said.

China always holds that all countries, big or small, are equal, and it attaches great importance to developing the friendly cooperative relations with Bahrain, Hu said. At the new historical point, China is ready to work with Bahrain to deepen friendship, expand pragmatic cooperation, strengthen collaboration in multilateral frameworks, promote peace, stability, and development in the Mideast and the Gulf region, and push forward the long-term stable, equal and mutually beneficial relations of sincere friendship between the two nations, he said.

King Hamad said in the message that Bahrain has highly valued ties with China, and is ready to maintain communication and coordination with the country to enhance their relations in a bid to benefit the two peoples.