On July 6, 2004, Premier Wen Jiabao of the State Council and visiting Prime Minister Sabah Al-Ahmed Al-Jaber Al-Sabah of the State of Kuwait met with the joint delegation of 6 finance ministers of the GCC member states and the GCC secretary general in the Great Hall of the People. The members of the GCC's delegation include Finance Minister of Kuwait Al-Nouri, Finance and Industrial Minister of State Affairs of the United Arab Emirates Kharbash, Minister of Finance and National Economy of the Kingdom of Bahrain Saif, Finance Minister of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Al-Assaf, Minister of National Economy of the Sultan State of Amen Macki, Finance Minister of the State of Qatar Kamal and GCC Secretary General Attiyah.

Wen Jiabao said that this visit by GCC Rotating President and Kuwaiti Prime Minister Sabah Al-Ahmed Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, 6 finance ministers of the GCC member states and the GCC secretary general is the first one in the history of bilateral exchanges and is of great significance. This not only fully demonstrates that China, the Gulf countries and the GCC all attach great importance developing bilateral relations, but also shows that their mutual ties are increasingly consolidated. He stressed that developing relations with six Gulf countries and the GCC in an all-round manner is the firm policy of the Chinese government. China would like to establish mutually beneficial cooperative relations, which will be long-term and stable, with the six Gulf countries and the GCC and hopes to continue the momentum of bilateral exchanges of high-level visits, further enhance mutual coordination in international affairs and reach the agreement on the China-GCC free trade area at the earliest date possible so as to expand and deepen bilateral cooperation in all areas.

On behalf of 6 GCC member states, Sabah indicated that the visit by the finance ministers of these six countries and their signing of the cooperative agreements are the new starting point of bilateral relations. Kuwait hopes to strengthen financial, economic and trade cooperation with China, expand bilateral trade and implement various agreements reached by both sides in a down-to-earth manner. He expressed his hope that the Gulf countries will expand and enhance cooperation with China in various fields.

Following the talks, Wen Jiabao and Sabah attended the signing ceremony of the Agreement on Economic and Technological Cooperation between the Government of the People's Republic of China and the Government of The State of Kuwait, the Framework Agreement on Economic, Trade, Investment and Technological Cooperation between China and the GCC Member States and other documents.