The Chinese Minister of Science and Technology came to Israel to promote cooperation

The Minister of Science and Technology of China came to Israel to promote technology cooperation between the two countries. Minister of Economy and Industry Eli Cohen met with Minister of Light Wang Zhigang.
Minister Zigang's visit comes in preparation for the arrival of China's vice-president, who is heading the intergovernmental innovation conference, a visit that is expected to "break another record" in Israel-China relations and be the most senior visit by a Chinese representative to Israel.
Minister Cohen: "China is one of Israel's important trade partners. In view of the great potential inherent in trade relations between the two countries, the Ministry of Economy and Industry is working to strengthen cooperation with the Chinese government and with Chinese corporations and companies "
Minister of Economy and Industry Eli Cohen met this morning with Chinese Science Minister Wang Zhigang and Chief Scientist and Chairman of the Innovation Authority Ami Appelbaum to discuss the possibility of strengthening technological cooperation between Chinese companies and start-ups from Israel. Of the Chinese government.
In August 2016, the government announced a new program to promote innovation in the country and turn China into a world power in technology and science. The program is of the utmost importance since innovation and technological progress are considered China's new growth engine on the days when production costs in China are rising.
In recent years, companies and corporations, as well as Chinese government officials have begun to place Israel as the primary destination for access to new technologies and investment opportunities. A clear example of this can be found in the announcement by Chinese President Xi Jinping on the "Comprehensive Innovation Partnership" with Israel.
In China, there are 6 commercial attaches of the Foreign Trade Administration in the Ministry of Economy and Industry and a variety of research and development collaborations led by the Innovation Authority.
Chief Scientist and Chairman of the Innovation Authority, Ami Apelbaum: "The first visit by a Chinese minister of science to Israel is a milestone in the relations between Israel and China. The Ministry of Science and Technology is the most significant partner of the Innovation Authority, leading cooperation in the areas of innovation and technology, and cooperation with it constitutes an umbrella for a variety of cooperation initiatives. In addition to the bi-national agreement between Israel and China in industrial R & D to promote joint ventures in technology and innovation, the Authority operates 8 additional cooperation agreements with selected provinces and cities, thus enabling Israeli companies to establish cooperation in technological research and development with companies throughout China.
 
The volume of trade in goods between China and Israel in 2017 was $ 9.67 billion.
In the first half of 2018, there was a significant increase in exports to China, which stood at $ 2.8 billion, an increase of 73% compared to the first half of 2017.