PM Netanyahu (R) met with Chinese Deputy Prime Minister Yang Yang in Jerusalem in November. (Kobi Gideon / GPO)
“It is hard to overstate the importance of economic and technological ties between Israel and China, ties which also help tighten diplomatic relations between the two countries,” stated Minister Yuval Steinitz, who opened the largest-ever Israeli investment conference in Beijing.
The approximately 1,000 participants at a monumental investment conference in Beijing – the largest Israeli event of its kind in China – will present their products and capabilities with the goal of promoting new areas of cooperation with the Chinese market. Included are leading investors from Chinese companies and venture capital funds, key figures from Israeli hi-tech and academia and representatives of 85 Israeli technology companies from the fields of life sciences, clean-tech and advanced production.
The two-day conference – opened Monday by Dr. Yuval Steinitz, Minister of National Infrastructure, Water and Energy – includes panels on investment opportunities for Chinese companies in Israel and on the contribution of Israeli academia to the development of technology firms. Presenters include prominent figures from the Chinese business world, including Guo Guangchang, chairman of Fosun International Ltd.; Cheetah Mobile CEO Fu Sheng; Liu Jiren, founder and CEO of Neusoft; and – from Israel – Shimon Eckhouse, founder of Syneron; and John Medved, founder of OurCrowd, among others.
“Since my first visit to China as finance minister in 2010, I have continued to work to strengthen economic ties between Israel and China,” Steinitz said. “This activity has so far resulted in several important economic agreements and has brought a dramatic increase in Chinese investments in Israel, so it is important to continue that work in the fields of economy, industry and energy. It is hard to overstate the importance of economic and technological ties between Israel and China, ties which also help tighten diplomatic relations between the two countries. This conference creates an excellent opportunity to create new economic ties and to showcase the State of Israel to Chinese companies, investors and entrepreneurs who may consider investing in our country in the fields of water, electricity infrastructure, gas and others.”
Minister Yuval Steinitz opened the prestigious Israeli investment conference in Beijing on Monday. (Miriam Alster/ Flash90)
Amit Lang, director-general of the Ministry of Economy and Industry, said the Beijing conference is “a natural extension of increasing economic activity between the two countries and will give investors a chance to get to know and connect with promising Israeli companies from different fields.”
“We are certain that investors will be impressed with the scope of the innovation and enterprise of the Israeli companies participating and we hope many partnerships will be created that will give the Israeli economy an additional boost,” said Ziva Eger, director of the Division for Foreign Investments and Industrial Cooperation.
According to Ophir Gore, head of the Trade & Investments Mission in Beijing for Israel’s Ministry of Economy and Industry, “the conference is a response to the increasing interest in Israeli innovation shown by funds, companies, investment bodies and private individuals in China and I foresee that the stream of Chinese investments in the Israeli economy will grow stronger in the coming years. “
The event is an initiative of the Division for Foreign Investments and Industrial Cooperation at the Israeli Ministry of Economy and Industry, as well as the ministry’s trade missions in China. It is also supported by the Chinese government through the Chinese Ministry of Science and Technology.
The Foreign Trade Administration at the Israeli Ministry of Economy and Industry has been working actively in the Chinese market over the past few years, with diversified activity encouraging trade and opening Chinese projects to Israel companies.
By: United with Israel Staff
(With files from the Israel Government Press Office)