Tangible benefits

The ongoing visit of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to China is expected to inject new vitality into the two countries' bilateral pragmatic cooperation, in fields such as trade and science, and deepen mutual trust.

After holding substantial talks with Premier Li Keqiang on Wednesday, Netanyahu met President Xi Jinping on Thursday. Xi suggested the two countries plan well for the future of their relations and deepen mutual understanding.

Both Xi and Li stressed the importance of enhancing multifaceted bilateral interaction with Israel at both the official and people-to-people levels. This is a good opportunity for the two countries to put their relationship on a faster development track.

Apart from attending the signing of a series of agreements with Netanyahu, Li put forward four measures to promote bilateral cooperation, namely expanding two-way trade and investment, deepening collaboration in science and technology, boosting agricultural exchanges, and exploring project contracting.

These will enable the two sides to tap the potential of broader and deeper cooperation, bringing tangible benefits to the two peoples. They will also lay a solid foundation for lifting bilateral interaction to an even higher level.

It is good to see China and Israel have made measurable progress in developing bilateral ties in recent years. Bilateral trade has surged from $50 million in 1992 to nearly $10 billion in 2012, which is an impressive increase of about 200 times in 20 years.

China has become Israel's largest trading partner in Asia and the third largest in the world. As the first country to establish renminbi venture capital funds in China, Israel has invested in a wide range of fields, including China's agriculture and electronics industries.

Given that China's huge market and Israel's technological capabilities are complimentary, closer and greater cooperation between the two sides will bring win-win results.

The two leaders have also demonstrated a stronger political will to enhance their cooperation on issues beyond the bilateral scope. Seizing the opportunity to contribute to international efforts to resolve the Palestinian question in peace, which has emerged with Netanyahu's ongoing visit and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' visit earlier this week, China's new leaders have also called for substantial efforts to restart the Middle East peace process.

(China Daily 05/10/2013 page8)