Research center brings pledges of cooperation

At a ceremony marking the opening of a Jewish research center in Beijing, Chinese and Israeli officials and scholars pledged on Sunday to strengthen their ties and work to understand each other better.

The China Institute of Jewish Culture & Economy, based at University of International Business and Economics, was established on Sunday. Its mission is to promote exchanges and collaborations between China and Israel, as well as to strengthen Sino-Jewish relations through the use of research.

Robert John Aumann, an Israeli Nobel laureate, wrote a congratulatory letter to the center, saying he is happy that the Chinese and Jewish nations can cooperate and learn from each other.

As the two countries commemorate the 20th anniversary of the forging of their diplomatic ties, the value of trade between them this year is expected to exceed $10 billon, according to Cao Jiachang, vice-director of the Ministry of Commerce's Department of Western Asian and African Affairs.

As China strives to make itself into a country of innovation, China and Israel will have more opportunities to cooperate, he said.