Trade Minister Eli Yishai to head trade delegation to China

Minister Yishai will meet with China's Deputy Prime Minster Mme. Wu Yi as well as his Chinese counterpart, with whom he will discuss a memorandum for increased cooperation between the countries
 
Israel's Deputy Prime Minister and Industry Trade and Labor Minister Eli Yishai will start a five-day, official visit in China on January 13th-18th  at the invitation of the Chinese Trade Minister, Mr. Chen Demin.
 
The Israeli Minister will be accompanied by a business delegation to be organized by the Israel Export Institute and headed by its Chairman David Arzi. Joining the delegation will be representatives of around 30 Israeli companies. Delegates include Motorola Israel general manager Elisha Yanay, Standards Institution of Israel director general Amikam Ben-Zvi, Israel Export and International Cooperation Institute chairman David Arzi, and Kibbutz Industry Association managing director Amos Rabin.
 
Minister Yishai will meet with China's Deputy Prime Minster Mme. Wu Yi as well as his Chinese counterpart, with whom he will discuss a memorandum for increased cooperation between Israeli and Chinese companies in the areas of agriculture, IT, telecom and water technology. In addition, the ministers will discuss the incorporation of Israeli companies in government bids and large projects in China.
 
The Israeli Minister will participate in business seminars to be held in Beijing and Shangen during which the delegation members will meet with representatives of local companies.
 
In the course of the visit to Shangen, Minister Yishai will officially inaugurate Israel's Industry Trade and Labor Ministry's commercial representation there. The opening of the official representative office reflects the ministry's efforts to help Israeli companies to boost their activities in China. The Israeli Ministry chose to open its second representative office in Shangen due to the fact that it is China's hi-tech center and great importance is attributed to the development of ties between Israel's hi-tech center and this city.
 
Reciprocal trade with China during the first nine months 0f 2007 stood at $4.03 billion, an increase of 30% in comparison to the same period last year.
 
Export to China during this period came to $737 million. The main export components were machinery 37%, minerals and chemical products 15%, diamonds and precious metals 17%, telecommunications, optics and laboratory products 25%. Import from China during this period reached $3.295 billion. The main import components included textile and footwear 16%, machinery 35%, simple metals 11% and chemical products 10%.