Israeli president arrives in China to boost strong ties
insidechina.com
BEIJING, Apr. 25, 1999 -- (Agence France Presse) Israeli President Ezer Weizman arrived in China on Sunday for a weeklong official visit aimed at boosting the strong trade ties between the two countries.
A spokesman for the Israeli embassy said Weizman, accompanied by his wife Reuma, will visit Beijing, Shanghai, Hong Kong and Kunming during his stay.
He is accompanied by a delegation made up of 40 businessmen from companies engaged in telecommunications, new technologies, medical equipment and agriculture.
Weizman will meet Chinese counterpart Jiang Zemin on Monday morning after a welcoming ceremony at the Great Hall of the People and oversee the signing of a series of agreements between Israeli and Chinese firms. He will also be the guest of honor at a banquet hosted by Jiang in the evening.
Among the accords to be signed are in the telecommunications sector involving Israel's ECI, Nbase-Xyplex and Vocaltec, in medical equipment and in chemical production, envisaging the setting up of a joint venture in China by the Dead Sea Bromine Group.
The biggest contracts are for the supply of telecommunications equipment by ECI to the Jitong Communication Corporation worth 11.4 million dollars and for technology cooperation between Nbase-Xyplex and the Chinese firm GDT Great Dragon worth 50 million dollars, Israeli sources said.
Since the two countries forged diplomatic relations in January 1992, the relations have soared all round, especially in economic and cultural fields and trade has rocketed.
Last year, China-Israel trade rose 50 percent over 1997, with Israeli exports to China rising 80 percent to 190 million dollars worth and imports up 38 percent to 350 million dollars in 1998, Israeli figures show.
In the first quarter this year, trade grew by 50 percent over the same period of 1998.
Chinese officials said Weizman would also meet Prime Minister Zhu Rongji and the minister in charge of external trade and economic cooperation, Shi Huangsheng, on Monday.
While in Kunming, he is to inaugurate the Israeli pavilion at a major international horticultural exhibition, which is to open Saturday with several foreign dignitaries attending, including King Norodom Sihanouk of Cambodia and President Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe.
The exhibition lasting six months is expected to attract 10 million visitors.
Weizman's visit is his first to China since taking office six years ago. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited China last year. ( (c) 1999 Agence France Presse)
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