Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is leaving on Sunday (19 March 2017) for an official visit to China. The visit follows an invitation by Chinese President Xi Jinping and will mark 25 years since the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries. The Chinese President will meet with Prime Minister Netanyahu and host him for an official dinner. The Prime Minister will also meet with his Chinese counterpart, Li Keqiang.
The visit will stress the continued strengthening of economic cooperation with the Chinese government: increased Israeli exports to China, attracting Chinese investments in Israel, and increased industrial and research cooperation between Chinese and Israeli companies.
A series of economic agreements – that will assist Israeli industry by continuing to increase the number of countries active in, and exporting to, China – will be signed during the visit.
Prime Minister Netanyahu will meet with the leaders of China's largest corporations, each one with turnovers of tens of billions of dollars.
Prime Minister Netanyahu will be accompanied by a senior business delegation of dozens of Israeli businesspeople from the various industries and companies active in China, as well as from companies interested in penetrating the Chinese market. Delegation members will attend a business forum with over 500 invited guests, to be chaired by the Prime Minister.
Additionally, Prime Minister Netanyahu will attend the third joint Israel-China innovation conference. The first such conference was held in China in 2015; the second was held last year in Israel with the attendance of a Chinese Deputy Prime Minister.
Israel and China will sign cooperation agreements in aviation, education, bringing Chinese construction workers to Israel, science, health, environmental protection and a multi-year plan for a task force on strengthening bilateral economic ties.
Prime Minister Netanyahu will also be accompanied by Environmental Protection Minister Zeev Elkin, Economy and Industry Minister Eli Cohen, Science, Technology and Space Minister Ofir Akunis, Health Minister Yaakov Litzman and Agriculture Minister Uri Ariel.
Prime Minister Netanyahu’s remarks:
"We will continue the talks on establishing a free trade agreement between China and Israel and we will hold the third joint Israel-China innovation conference. Of course, we are continuing to develop new markets and to open new markets for the Israeli economy. I expect all ministers to cooperate on this, and they are doing so."