(Communicated by the Foreign Ministry Spokesperson)
As part of a regional tour, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China, Yang Jiechi, will pay an official visit to Israel on 22-24 April 2009. This is the first visit of a Chinese foreign minister in four years.
During his visit, Yang Jiechi will meet with the Israeli president, prime minister, foreign minister and the head of the Opposition to discuss how to promote diplomatic, economic and cultural relations between the two states. Regional and international issues such as Iran's nuclear program and developments in Israeli-Palestinian relations will also be discussed.
Israel and China established diplomatic relations in 1992. Today, annual trade stands at $7 billion, cultural exchanges have met with great success, many senior Chinese officials have visited Israel and the number of Chinese tourists visiting Israel is growing. Yang Jiechi's visit further strengthens Israel-China relations.