China, Jordan eye stronger trade cooperation

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2009-06-23 15:04

AMMAN: A Communist Party of China (CPC) senior leader has aired satisfaction over China-Jordan trade ties and called for stronger cooperation.

In a meeting late Monday with Jordan's Minister of Planning and International Cooperation Suheir Al-Ali, He Guoqiang, China's anti- graft chief, said Jordan was China's important cooperation partner in the Middle East.

"China attaches great importance to ties with Jordan and is satisfied with the continued growth of bilateral trade cooperation," said He, who is member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee.

Jordan's trade with China hit about US$360 million in the first quarter this year, only next to Saudi Arabia and the United States, according to Jordan's official statistics.

The senior CPC leader said China would like to make joint efforts with Jordan to upgrade and widen bilateral cooperation in a substantive manner.

Suheir Al-Ali said China's economic boom was a paradigm of nations' economic growths in the world. She said Jordan could learn a lot from the fact that China's economy kept a stable growth despite the global slump. She also appreciated China's long- term support to Jordan.

In another meeting with Chairman of the Jordan Investment Board (JIB) Maen Nsour, He praised that JIB had done a good job in improving Jordan's investment environment and attracting foreign capital.

He mentioned Chinese businesses' "going abroad initiative," saying it not only boosted their own growths, but also promoted the employment and economic development of destination countries.

Nsour said Jordan admired China's great achievements and valued bilateral friendship and cooperation. He said his country would continue to improve its investment environment, enhance communication with Chinese companies in an effort to strengthen bilateral trade, investment and cooperation in other fields.

He arrived in Amman Sunday night, following his visits to Egypt and Spain. His fortnight foreign trip will also take him to Mongolia.