2017年CRI Israeli PM visits China with largest business delegation（在线收听）

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu arrived in Beijing on March.19th for a state visit. [Photo: Israel embassy]

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has arrived in Beijing on Sunday for an official visit.

The two sides are expected to sign a range of business agreements, marking the 25th anniversary of establishing diplomatic ties this year.

Accompanied by five ministers and the largest ever Israeli business delegation to visit China, Netanyahu is expected to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping, Premier Li Keqiang and leading Chinese business figures during his second trip to China.

"I'm embarking on an official visit to China through invitation of the Chinese government. I will meet with the president and the premier, and we will mark the 25th anniversary of the establishment of relations between Israel and China," said Netanyahu ahead of his trip to Beijing.

Trade and commerce is expected to loom large during the visit.

The Israeli business delegation of 90 people will be meeting with the heads of some of China's biggest corporations, including multi-billion dollar Internet giant Baidu.

Netanyahu implicated on signing economic cooperation deals during his visit, as his government anticipates entering into a Free Trade Agreement with China in July.

"I will meet with the heads of the biggest corporations in China. When we say the heads of the biggest corporations in China, sometimes we mean, the biggest corporations in the world, or are quickly becoming the world's biggest. We will continue our talks to create a Free Trade Agreement between Israel and China and conduct the third innovation committee. We will open new markets to the economy of Israel," added Netanyahu.

China is Israel's biggest trading partner among all Asian countries. In 2016, bilateral trade volume reached 11.3 billion US dollars.

"This is also an opportunity for the prime minister to, again, make it clear that Israel wants to cooperate with China, that Israel wants investment from China. This is very important that they hear it loud and clear from the person who's holding the top position in Israel," said Ilan Maor, Managing Director of the Israel-China Chamber of Commerce.

Since diplomatic relations were established in 1992, Israel and China have developed increasingly close commercial and strategic links.

In the agricultural sector, the two expanded trade and research opportunities by setting up collaborative farming projects in cities and provinces including Beijing, Shandong, Yunnan and Shaanxi.

In boosting people to people exchanges, Israel and China also signed a 10-year multiple entry visa agreement in 2016, making Israel only the third country, after the United States and Canada, to have such an arrangement with Beijing.