China's top domestic security chief visits Iran to push for anti-terror cooperation

BEIJING

Reuters - Mon Nov 17, 2014

  Chinese Public Security Minister Meng Jianzhu (C) speaks to reporters as Pakistan's Interior Minister Rehman Malik (L) looks on, after arriving at a military base in Rawalpindi September 26, 2011.  Credit: Reuters/Mian Khursheed

China's domestic security chief has visited Iran to push for greater cooperation in the fight against terror, the Chinese foreign ministry said on Tuesday, as Beijing seeks allies in its efforts to maintain stability in Xinjiang.
Beijing says it faces a threat from militant Islamists in its far western region of Xinjiang, where hundreds have died in unrest in the past two years or so, and has repeatedly pushed for greater regional efforts to tackle the problem.
Meng Jianzhu, who leads China's anti-terror efforts, met with several senior officials while in Tehran, including Vice President Eshaq Jahangiri and Interior Minister Abdolreza Rahmani Fazl on his Nov. 15-17 trip, the ministry said.

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China Cuts Saudi Oil Imports Amid Colombia Shipment Boost

Bloomberg News - Oct 22, 2014

China reduced oil imports from Saudi Arabia even as the world’s largest crude exporter cuts prices to lure Asian customers amid intensifying competition from Colombia to Oman.
Oil deliveries from Saudi Arabia fell 2.7 percent to 4.74 million metric tons last month from a year earlier, according to data released today by the General Administration of Customs in Beijing. Shipments from Colombia surged 389.6 percent, while Russian deliveries increased by 56.8 percent.
Asian consumers are benefiting from a wider choice of suppliers offering cheaper crude, from Venezuela to Alaska and Nigeria, as the highest U.S. production in almost 30 years cuts American demand. Saudi Arabia reduced prices for oil for Asia to the lowest in almost six years as it aims to maintain market share even as global benchmark prices have dropped about 25 percent from June.

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Shoukry meets vice-president of China’s Communist Party

Daily News Egypt / November 6, 2014

Egyptian Minister of Foreign Affairs Sameh Shoukry and the vice-president of the Communist Party of China Hai-Ting met on Friday to discuss “the Chinese government’s support of the political, economic, and social advancements Egypt is making,” the foreign ministry said in a statement.
Shoukry thanked China for its role in helping developing countries economically, especially through the Group 77 organisation, which was created in 1964 to facilitate trade and economic agreements between developing countries.
Shoukry also told the Chinese official that Egypt is interested in attracting Chinese investments. He stated that Egypt wishes for high participation of Chinese companies in its next economic conference in February.
Hai-Ting stated his country “trusts completely that Egypt’s future is bright with its new leadership” and that visits between the two states would be more frequent.
He added that China would also like to revive its economic connection to the region, stressing on reviving its old silk route. He did not offer more details.

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China to double Iranian investment

BBC - 16 November 2014

China is set to double its investment in Iranian infrastructure projects, Iran's Mehr news agency reports.

China has raised its quota for Iranian projects to $52bn (£33bn) from $25bn the report said, quoting Iran's deputy minister for energy, Esmail Mahsouli.
Water, electricity, oil and gas projects will all benefit from the extra financing, Mr Mahsouli said.
Iran has turned to China, Russia and Turkey for financing as Europe and the US have strict sanctions on the nation.
The US has an almost total economic embargo on Iran, while the European Union tightened up its sanctions in 2012, particularly targeting the energy and banking industries.

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China Sees Itself at Center of New Asian Order

Beijing Builds Roads, Pipelines, Railways and Ports to Bind Itself to Region

 By Jeremy Page

The Wall Street Journal - Nov. 9, 2014

HORGOS, China—In a valley flanked by snow-capped peaks on China’s border with Kazakhstan, a vision of Beijing’s ambitions to redraw the geopolitical map of Asia is taking shape. This remote outpost, once a transit point for Silk Road merchants, is where China is building one of its newest cities.
Covering more than twice the area of New York City, Horgos had just 85,000 residents when it was founded in September, enveloping several towns and villages in an area known for lavender fields.
China’s plan is to transform the sleepy frontier crossing into an international railway, energy and logistics hub for a “Silk Road Economic Belt” unveiled by President Xi Jinping last year to establish new trade and transport links between China, Central Asia and Europe.

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China's 'Marshall Plan' Is Much More China’s ‘one belt, one road’ initiative is no Marshall plan — it’s far more ambitious.

By Dingding Chen

The Diplomat - November 10, 2014

Chinese President Xi Jinping just announced that China will establish a Silk Road fund with $40 billion to support infrastructure investments in countries involved in the “one belt, one road” plan. This new proposal is in addition to the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) proposal that 21 countries have already joined. A critical element of such plans is to “break the connectivity bottleneck” in Asia and beyond, which has seriously hindered development in many developing countries. Presumably a large amount of funding will go to building roads, railways, and ports in these countries. Thus, many analysts (see for example here, here, and here) have labeled China’s new initiatives as a Chinese version of the Marshall Plan, indicating that China would use such initiatives to seek influence and even dominance in Asia.
To be sure, there are some seeming similarities between China’s “one belt, one road” initiative with the U.S. Marshall plan, with the main one being that both plans aim at exporting their country’s capital, technology, and capacity to others who need them badly. But there are some major differences between China’s “one belt, one road” initiative and the Marshall Plan, which have not received adequate attention from many analysts. More specifically, China’s Silk Road vision is different from the Marshall Plan in motivation, challenges, and potential impact.

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China Voice: Asia-Pacific region needs "new rebalancing" between China and U.S.

by Jiang Xufeng and Fu Shuangqi

ICross China - 2014-11-10

BEIJING, Nov. 10 (Xinhua) -- After two years of absence, U.S. President Barack Obama arrived in Beijing Monday morning for the upcoming Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Economic Leaders' Meeting.
Besides the meeting, he will pay a state visit to China, the first since his re-election.
China has welcomed his presence. Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei told media that China hopes for positive results from his visit and is willing to work with the United States to build a new type of relations between major countries.
The upcoming meeting between President Xi Jinping and Obama is expected to set a tone for the bilateral relations not only in near future but also the long run.
The world is closely watching, whether the largest developed and developing countries, also the world's first and second largest economies, can figure out a solution to stabilize their relations and manage their differences, for their standoff may lead to collateral damages.

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US President Obama delivers speech at APEC CEO Summit

Xi urges China-Brunei cooperation in energy, maritime development

ICriss China - 2014-11-10

BEIJING, Nov. 10 (Xinhua) -- China is willing to cooperate with Brunei in the development of oil, gas and new energy, and to achieve "substantial progress" in jointly developing the South China Sea, President Xi Jinping said on Monday.
China will also encourage its businesses to increase investment in Brunei to enhance cooperation in infrastructure construction, as well as agriculture and fishery sectors, Xi said when meeting with Sultan of Brunei Hassanal Bolkiah.
Hassanal is in Beijing to attend the 22nd Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Economic Leaders' Meeting on Nov. 10-11.
Xi said the two countries should increase high-level exchanges and strengthen strategic mutual trust as China-Brunei relations has been upgraded to the strategic cooperative one.
"China is willing to work with Brunei to strengthen maritime cooperation in order to achieve early and substantial progress in joint development of the South China Sea," he told Hassanal.

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China Sees Itself at Center of New Asian Order

The Wall Street Journal - Nov 10, 2014

In a valley flanked by snow-capped peaks on China’s border with Kazakhstan, a vision of Beijing’s ambitions to redraw the geopolitical map of Asia is taking shape. This remote outpost, once a transit point for Silk Road merchants, is where China is building one of its newest cities. As the WSJ’s Jeremy Page reports:
Covering more than twice the area of New York City, Horgos had just 85,000 residents when it was founded in September, enveloping several towns and villages in an area known for lavender fields.
China’s plan is to transform the sleepy frontier crossing into an international railway, energy and logistics hub for a “Silk Road Economic Belt” unveiled by President Xi Jinping last year to establish new trade and transport links between China, Central Asia and Europe.
Horgos is a small element of China’s wider effort to bind surrounding regions more closely to it through pipelines, roads, railways and ports, say diplomats and analysts who have studied the plans it has made public.

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Work for Benign Relations

Shen Dingli
Associate Dean, Fudan Unversity

Dr. Shen Dingli is a professor and Vice Dean at the Institute of International Studies, Fudan University. He is also the founder and director of China’s first non-government-based Program on Arms Control and Regional Security at Fudan University.

China and US Focus - November 3, 2014

Next week, Beijing will host an informal meeting of APEC leaders. After that, Chinese and American heads of state will hold a Chinese version of the “Annenberg meeting”. Top Chinese and US diplomats have been shuttling across the Pacific since last month in preparation for the two important events. Such frequent exchanges of visits are rare in bilateral diplomatic interactions.  China and the US have similar or common interests on broad bilateral, multilateral and global issues. No question about that. But their divergence in interests is equally broad and profound. Since the two countries’ leaders’ Annenberg meeting in California last June, although the two sides enhanced cooperation on such matters as web security and maritime concerns, their conflicts and struggles remain fierce.  On the issue of cyber security, Washington has repeatedly accused the Chinese government of conducting frequent attacks on the United States. Yet the truth is the US government has carried out extensive eavesdropping at home and abroad. At least its behaviors have been confirmed by various leaked documents, like those exposed by Edward Snowden. After last year’s Annenberg meeting, both countries established their own cyber security working group and initiated collaboration on the platform of their strategic and economic dialogue. However, the fine momentum didn’t last long. In May, the US Department of Justice launched a high-profile prosecution of five Chinese military officers, making it impossible for the two parties to sustain the dialogue in this field. Through the two months of high-level exchanges, the US should prove its sincerity with practical deeds and eliminate this impediment to the next Xi-Obama meeting as well as a restoration of bilateral dialogues.

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Chinese tech giant Founder to open Israel subsidiary

The company, worth over $5 billion, is one of the biggest – from China or anywhere else — to invest in Israel

By David Shamah

The Times of Israel - November 6, 2014

Founder Technologies, a subsidiary of the Founder Group, one of China’s biggest companies, is set to open a subsidiary in Israel, according to documents released by the company. In 2012, Founder it took in $9.9 billion and had a net worth of $5.2 billion, operating in 80 countries.
Now it’s adding Israel, the company said in documents filed with local regulatory authorities, establishing a company in Tel Aviv to be called FounderTech (Israel) Limited. The Israeli company will belong to Founder subsidiary Shanghai Founder Technology (HK) Limited, and will concentrate on providing smart cities solutions. Participating in projects to be developed in Israel will be two other Founder organizations, Founder International Software Co. and Founder Broadband Network Service Co.

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The Middle East Crisis and Sino-U.S. Relations

Brookings - October 27, 104

Martin Indyk, vice president and director of the Foreign Policy Program at Brookings Institution, delivered a public speech at Brookings-Tsinghua Center on October 27. Researcher of Division for Middle East Studies at Chinese Academy of Social Science Institute of West Asian and African studies Tang Zhichao also joined as a guest commentator. The discussion was warmly welcomed by more than 100 students, scholars and representatives from the media and the industry.  Martin Indyk began his speech with a brief review of the historical roots of Middle East issues. Indyk made three main arguments, first asserting that the modern state system in the Middle East was not established naturally in the historical process. Instead, it was derived from the artificially created borders by British and French colonists during World War I. Consequently, countries in this region suffered from complicated religious and tribal conflicts, which made it more difficult to coordinate their developments. His second argument focused on the dominant role the United States played in the Middle East in the post-Cold War era. The United States, according to Indyk, chose to cooperate with Middle East monarchies for its own oil interests to ensure their rule or even repression of the local people. The region, however, ended up in chaos caused by people’s revolts. Last, Indyk argued that the U.S. war against Iraq after 9/11 exacerbated the regional instability by toppling Saddam’s regime and replacing it with a Shi'a dominated Iraqi government. The rise of ISIS, which Indyk considered to be the biggest threat in the Middle East, could also be considered an unexpected result of the war.

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Istanbul Process comes to Beijing, marking new role for China in Middle East

Want China Times - 2014-11-01

That the Fourth Foreign Ministerial Conference of the Istanbul Process was held in Beijing on Friday suggests that China's diplomatic efforts on Afghanistan have paid off, reports our Chinese-language sister paper Want Daily.  This suggests that Beijing will lead the next stage of the Afghanistan Reconstruction and fill the void left by departing NATO troops, which are being gradually pulled out of the country.  Beijing has been expanding China's economic and diplomatic influence on Afghanistan since 2012, securing the rights to excavate multiple copper mines and oil fields in the country and local infrastructure and telecommunication projects. China stepped up its efforts this year since India, Iran and Pakistan have shown tremendous interest in Afghanistan.  Retired political heavyweight Zhou Yongkang, who is currently under investigation for graft, played a key role in fostering relations between China and Afghanistan, said Hong Kong newspaper Ta Kung Pao. Zhou made an unexpected visit to Kabul in September 2012. Zhou was the highest-ranking Chinese official to visit Afghanistan since 1966.

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Interview: China has right to play special role in Middle East: Jordan's senate president

Shanghai Daily - Nov 06, 2014

AMMAN, Nov. 6 (Xinhua) -- China should play a leading role in the Middle East, especially on the Palestinian issue and the Syrian crisis, Jordan's Senate President Abdul Raouf Rawabdeh said on Thursday, adding that Jordan-China relations are historic and at their best at present.
In an interview with Xinhua, Rawabdeh said China is one of the great countries that are making history and future at this stage, noting that Jordan has kept a distinguished relation with China since the time of the late King Hussein. He added that His Majesty King Abdullah's frequent visits to China have further developed this relationship.
China and Jordan have enjoyed a very friendly relationship since diplomatic ties were established in 1977, which is evident through cooperation in economy, commerce and services for the benefit of the two peoples, Rawabdeh said.

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New Afghan leader talks peace on China trip

By Christopher Bodeen

The Associated Press - October 31, 2014

BEIJING -- Afghanistan's new president invited the Taliban to join in a peace process backed by the international community on Friday, an unusual direct reference to the insurgents who have stepped up attacks in an attempt to bring down his month-old government.  Speaking at a conference on Afghan peace and reconstruction in Beijing, Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai made no specific proposals and indicated government forces wouldn't back away from the fight. However, his mention of the Taliban by name marked a departure from his usual public references to them as "political opponents."  "Peace is our highest priority. We invite the political opposition, particularly the Taliban, to join and enter Afghan dialogue, and ask all of our international partners to support an Afghan-led and Afghan-owned peace process," Ghani Ahmadzai said.

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Qatar to become Middle East clearing hub for China's yuan

The Gulf Times - November 4, 2014

Qatar will become the Middle East's first hub for clearing transactions in the Chinese yuan, in a step that could over the long run help Gulf oil exporting countries reduce their dependence on the US dollar.  Industrial and Commercial Bank of China's  Doha branch has been appointed as the clearing bank for yuan deals in Qatar, China's central bank said on Tuesday.  "The signing of the MoU and the appointment of the renminbi clearing bank will increase the strong ties between China and Qatar and position Qatar as the regional centre for renminbi clearing and settlement," the Qatari central bank said.  Seeking to promote global use of the yuan, China has in the past two years appointed clearing banks for Taiwan, Singapore, London, Frankfurt, Paris, Luxembourg and Seoul. Hong Kong and Macau had clearing banks earlier; Sydney is expected to join the list under a deal to be signed later this month.  A clearing bank can handle all parts of a transaction from when a commitment is made until it is settled; having such a bank can reduce costs and time taken for trading, boosting activity in a financial centre.  At present, the Gulf's wealthy oil and gas exporters rely heavily on the US dollar; most of their currencies are pegged to the dollar, and most of their huge foreign currency reserves are denominated in dollars.

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Chinese president proposes Asia-Pacific dream

English.news.cn | 2014-11-09


BEIJING, Nov. 9 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping called for efforts to create and fulfill an Asia-Pacific dream here Sunday, saying China's economy will bring huge opportunities and benefits to the region and the world.
He made the remarks when addressing the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) CEO Summit, which attracted over 1,500 business people from 21 APEC member economies and 17 other countries and regions.
The Asia-Pacific has a strong impetus for development and a bright future, with a rising standing in the world, but the region now stands "at a crossroads", Xi said.
He listed several challenges facing the region, such as lingering impacts of the international financial crisis, fragile recovery in some economies, the daunting tasks of raising economic equality and efficiency, as well as different directions and priorities in accelerating the regional economic integration process.
"The development prospect of our region hinges on the decisions and actions we take today," he said. "We are duty-bound to create and fulfill an Asia-Pacific dream for our people."

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3rd LD Writethru-China Focus: Xi says China's economic risks "not that scary"

ICROSS CHINA - 2014-11-09

BEIJING, Nov. 9 (Xinhua) -- President Xi Jinping on Sunday shrugged off worries over the risks Chinese economy is facing, saying that the risks are "not that scary."
"Indeed there are risks (in the Chinese economy), but not that scary," Xi told the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) CEO Summit in a keynote speech.
Addressing worries that the Chinese economy may further decline in growth rate, Xi said "China's economic growth has become more stable and been driven by more diverse forces."
"Resilience best equips the Chinese economy against risks... And given the strategies and policy options at our disposal, we have the confidence and capability to cope with potential risks," he said.

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Obama’s Chance to Get China Right

PAUL GEWIRTZ

China File - 11.08.14

With much of his domestic agenda now stymied by the Republican sweep of Congress, President Obama’s room for maneuver remains greatest in foreign affairs. Yet with much of the Middle East in flames, an angry Vladimir Putin threatening Russian aggression, the European economy in dangerous decline, and an Ebola pandemic in Africa and looming worldwide, there are limited opportunities for Obama to leave a large positive legacy on the international landscape.
The U.S.-China relationship is one of them, and by fortunate coincidence President Obama will hold a summit meeting this week with China’s President Xi Jinping, their first in-depth meeting since June 2013. As Secretary of State John Kerry said just the other day, the U.S.-China relationship is the most “consequential” bilateral relationship in the world today—the one that, for better or for worse, will most significantly affect our future. The upcoming summit is President Obama’s most important chance to try to get this most consequential of U.S. relationships on a better track.

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China’s Uighur Unrest Is Opportunity for Afghans

By MATTHEW ROSENBERG

The New York Times - NOV. 5, 2014

KABUL, Afghanistan — Since the British first tried and failed to subdue Afghanistan in the 19th century, stumbling into a costly Afghan war seems to have become a mandatory step for global power players. The Soviet Union did it in the 1980s, and the American battle here has passed the 13-year mark.

Now, China seems to be taking its turn in coming to grips with Afghanistan’s role in its national security.

No one expects China to be sending troops any time soon, even with the United States and NATO pulling out the last of their combat forces at year’s end. But China has taken a major step in formalizing closer relations with the Afghan government: Last week, it said it planned to provide billions of dollars in new economic and security assistance.

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Vice Premier Wang Yang met Hussein al-Abdullah, Minister of Qatar & exec.director of Qatar Investment Authority

People's Daily,China

Wednesday November 5, 2014

China Planning $16.3 Billion Fund for ‘New Silk Road’

By Bloomberg News - Nov 4, 2014

China plans a $16.3 billion fund to finance construction of infrastructure linking its markets to three continents as President Xi Jinping pushes forward with his plans to revive the centuries-old Silk Road trading route.
The fund, overseen by Chinese policy banks, will be used to build and expand railways, roads and pipelines in Chinese provinces that are part of the strategy to facilitate trade over land and shipping routes, according to government officials who participated in drafting the plan.
More policies will be rolled out soon to encourage Chinese lenders to finance infrastructure in countries along the route connecting China to Europe, said the officials. They asked not to be identified as they weren’t authorized to speak publicly about the plans. Chinese companies will also be urged to invest in the countries and bid for contracts, the officials said.

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Iran - China trade to reach $44b

Zawya - October 27, 2014

Tehran - Transactions between Iran and China will reach $44 billion by the end of 2014, said the vice president of Iran-China Chamber of Commerce. In an exclusive interview with Iran Daily's Tuesday edition, Majid-Reza Hariri added that the figure will indicate a 30-percent increase year-on-year, which was $34 billion.
Hariri said trade balance between the two countries, including oil exports, is in Iran's favor.
"In the past few years, 68 percent of bilateral trade pertained to Iran's exports to China and the rest to Tehran's imports from Beijing. However, excluding Iran's oil exports, 65 percent of the figure pertain to China's exports to Iran and 35 percent to Iran's exports," he said

He added that China ranks first among Iran's oil importers. "In the past 18 months, China has been the biggest importer of Iranian non-oil products as well," he said.

"Beijing also ranks first in terms of importing petrochemicals and minerals, including iron ore, chrome and other mineral gangues from Tehran."

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China and Iran Deepening Naval Ties, Iran Calls for Bilateral Blue Water Exercise

By Sam LaGrone

US NAVAL INSTITUTE - October 27, 2014

Last week’s meeting between the heads of the Iranian Navy and the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) in Beijing are the latest in a bilateral campaign to increase military to military cooperation and a recognition of growing Chinese interests in the Middle East.
On Oct. 23, Iranian Rear Adm. Habibollah Sayyari met PLAN Adm. Wu Shengli in Beijing, “to further pragmatic cooperation and strengthen military-to-military ties,” Sayyari said, according to Iranian state controlled PressTV.
Sayyari also met with Chinese Defense Minister Chang Wanquan to discuss enhanced naval cooperation.
“Chang said the two armed forces have seen good cooperation on mutual visits, personnel training and other fields in recent years. Exchanges between the two navies have been fruitful and their warships have paid successful visits to each other,” according to a release from the Chinese Ministry of National Defense.
Press reports from China and Iran spoke of increased technological cooperation between the two countries but did not go into specifics.

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Iran and China deepen a ‘blue water’ friendship

By Brian Murphy

The Washington Post - October 28, 2014

Last month, visitors to Bandar Abbas on Iran’s southern coast gathered to witness a never-seen-before event: two Chinese warships pulling into port.  It could be just the start of a budding naval alliance stretching from the Pacific to the Persian Gulf.  Iranian and Chinese commanders last week announced plans for greater maritime cooperation. While the details are vague, it clearly touches ambitions on both sides: Expanding the reach of their warships into faraway seas and new ports of call. And, at the same time, giving a jab at the United States and its preeminent naval power.  For China, the Iranian naval alliance offers a convenient way-station for Beijing’s widening outreach in Africa, and another bonding moment in the largely transactional ties between China and Iran. China needs Iran’s oil and gas, and Iran is happy to oblige to help offset Western-led sanctions over Tehran’s nuclear program.

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Turkish-Chinese TV channel starts broadcasting in Turkey

The first and only Chinese-Turkish television channel CTV has begun broadcasting films, documentaries and Chinese cultural and traditional programs to promote Chinese economy, tradition and popular culture. 

World Bulletin/News Desk - 23 October 2014 Thursday

Turkish viewers wanted to watch a Chinese language television channel will be able to from Thursday, as the first Chinese Turkish television satellite channel CTV is launched.
Founded in cooperation with GB Times, a global media group, and an Istanbul based Turkish media group, Media Times, CTV will broadcast a wide range of television programs; documentaries, films and soap operas in both languages. The TV station will be available to audiences in Turkey and China.
"Not only are economic relations between the two countries growing but the cultural relations are also growing" said Yu Hongyang, China's Ambassador in Ankara.
Followed by millions of people in China, the media platforms of CTV and CTV Youtube will bring together the Turkish audience and the Chinese culture. The channel will also provide Chinese lessons.
Since 2009, when former Turkish President Abdullah Gul paid an official visit to China, the Turkish-Chinese relations have been improving. The two countries have signed many energy and economic agreements.
The ministry said 2012 was the “Year of China in Turkey” while 2013 was the “Year of Turkey in China”.

The ties between China and Israel are flourishing

Henry Srebrnik

Transcontinental Media - October 05, 2014

Following the establishment of the state of Israel in 1948 and the People’s Republic of China a year later ties between the two countries were virtually non-existent. A Maoist China that stridently supported revolution in the Third World, and gave aid to the Palestinian guerrilla movements, wanted nothing to do with the Jewish state. 
But as China emerged as a modern trading nation that would change. Starting secretly during the 1980s, but with increasing openness after the establishment of official ties in 1992, arms sales at first defined Sino-Israeli relations. Israel became China’s second-largest weapons supplier. 
In fact, during the 1990s, American officials accused Israel of illegally providing China with weapons such as the Patriot missile, Lavi jetfighter, and Phalcon airborne radar system. 
The arms trade seems to have levelled off, though in 2012 Israel appointed Matan Vilnai, a former major general, as its ambassador to China. Today, though, China is more interested in acquiring Israeli technology. Cyber-security is just one cutting-edge field, along with drones, in which Israel excels and where China wants to improve. 
China is also interested in many technologies where Israel is considered a world leader, such as water recycling, desalination, agriculture, and health and medicine.

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Hebrew U student represents Israel to millions on popular Chinese game show

By EITAN AROM

The Jerusalem Post - 10/26/2014

As the clock wound down on his opponent, a grin spread across Lechao Tang’s face. The buzzer sounded.
Tang, a Hebrew University student, applauded his foe politely – and the floor opened up beneath her feet, sending her plummeting unceremoniously below.
Tang represented Hebrew University in a popular Chinese game show earlier this month that pitted students from schools across the world against one another. His unlucky opponent hailed from the University of Cambridge, with other contestants representing Yale and Harvard.
But whereas Harvard and Yale are well-known abroad, Tang said that in China, the typical response when he says he studies in Israel is: “Where’s Israel?” “We are easternmost Asia and Israel is westernmost Asia,” he said. “I’m lucky to be the person to connect them.”
The quiz show, called “Who’s Still Standing,” spun off from the program “Lauf al Hamilyon” on Israel’s Channel 10.
During Tang’s screen-time, the show rose to China’s second most-viewed program.

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China pharma giant on the hunt for Israeli investments

WuXi PharmaTech’s new office will seek to work with – and maybe acquire – promising Israeli life sciences companies 

By David Shamah

The Times of Israel - November 2, 2014

hinese pharmaceutical giant WuXi PharmaTech is making a move to Israel. The company is opening an office here to “promote WuXi’s broad platform of integrated R&D services to local customers,” the company said. It will be on the lookout for promising investments in the biotech and medical devices spheres, in cooperation with its new partner Pontifax, a venture capital firm that specializes in medical industry investments.
WuXi is one of the world’s largest medical research companies, with nearly 2,000 customers using its platform to develop and test new medicines. The company’s origins are in China, where it was established in 2000, and it now has extensive operations in the US, after it acquired Minnesota-based AppTec labs in 2008. The company’s services for the biopharmaceutical and medical device industries include testing, contract research and development, as well as pharmaceutical manufacturing services.

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Israel and China Share Market Opportunities

JSPACE NEWS - October 30, 2014

One of Israel’s most influential business conferences, the 12th Go4Israel Conference, was hosted Tuesday, October 27th at the Hilton Tel Aviv, and put particular emphasis on China. Over 1,000 participants took part in the conference including international and local entrepreneurs, investors and business leaders.
“The conference reflects Israel’s role in bringing the world’s West and East economies together. With an increasing presence of China in Israel’s business scene, we can help enhance global relationships between investors and entrepreneurs, mainly from Europe, China and Israel,” said the French-born Edouard Cukierman, the chairman and founder of Cukierman & Co. Investment House, which organized the conference along with its private equity fund, Catalyst Fund. Cukierman & Co. Investment House Ltd. heads Israel’s largest investment team and has been involved for the past 20 years in raising €4 billion in transactions, much of it for Israeli startups and mature companies.
“Israel has always been the center of attraction for investors and entrepreneurs from around the world,” Cukierman added.

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The uncertain future of China-Israel relations

By Naser al-Tamimi

Al-Arabiya - Friday, 4 April 2014

In a recent interview on Bloomberg TV, the Israeli President Shimon Peres stated: “The future is galloping like a horse, and if you don’t gallop with the horse, the horse will gallop without you.” His interesting words may apply to the tireless Israeli efforts in recent years to “gallop” with the Chinese horse. This Israeli “galloping” comes at a time when China is seeking to enhance the security of its energy imports from the Middle East by increasing its political and economic involvement in the region.
One of the striking issues that characterizes Beijing’s relations with the region is that it has good relations with all parties. China’s ties with Iran, Turkey, and the Arab world are growing rapidly. Today, China is the largest exporter to the Middle East, Saudi Arabia’s top trade partner in West Asia, the biggest importer of Iranian oil, the major player in the Iraqi oil game and a rising star in the Turkish economy. At the same time, China has been the top market for Israeli exports in Asia.

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China, Qatar vow to deepen oil, gas cooperation

Editor: Yamei Wang  

English.news.cn | 2014-11-04

BEIJING, Nov. 4 (Xinhua) -- China and Qatar on Tuesday vowed to deepen their oil and gas cooperation during a meeting between Premier Li Keqiang and Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad al-Thani, Emir of Qatar.

China hopes to build a long-term, comprehensive and strategic relationship of energy cooperation with Qatar and strengthen bilateral cooperation in oil and gas exploration and development, liquefied national gas production and integrated cooperation in the petrochemical industry, Li said.
He called on Qatar to allow Chinese companies to join more upstream and downstream block exploration programs in Qatar.
Tamim hailed the development of Qatar-China relations and pledged that Qatar will deepen bilateral ties and strengthen reciprocal cooperation and people-to-people exchanges.
He said Qatar will prioritize long-term energy cooperation with China.
Li said China is willing to participate in Qatar's high-speed railway construction through its advanced technology, and hopes Qatar will consider Chinese companies when seeking project bids.

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