Sunday, March 19, 2017

Hoping to boost trade, PM heads to China with largest-ever business delegation

Marking 25 years of relations with Beijing, Netanyahu to meet President Xi and other top officials, but focus of next week’s three-day visit is on boosting commercial ties

By Raphael Ahren

THE TIMES OF ISRAEL - March 16, 2017

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is set to take five ministers and the largest-ever Israeli business delegation to Beijing early next week on a three-day visit marking 25 years since Israel and China established diplomatic relations. Netanyahu, who is leaving on Saturday night, is scheduled to meet with China’s three most senior officials: President Xi Jinping — who will host the Israeli leader for an official dinner — Prime Minister Li Keqiang and the head of the country’s parliament, Zhang Dejiang.  His last visit to China was in May 2013.  Besides the diplomatic meetings, Netanyahu will also lay a wreath at the Monument to the People’s Heroes in Beijing’s Tiananmen Square. But the focus of the trip is to promote bilateral trade. A number of economic agreements seeking to help Israeli get better access to Chinese markets will be signed.

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