Israel calls for early start of free trade talks with China

Israel and China should launch negotiations on the proposed free trade agreement at an early date to lift bilateral economic and trade relations to a new height, Israeli ambassador to China Matan Vilnai said Wednesday.

Speaking to a group of Chinese reporters based in Israel, Vilnai said he felt excited and encouraged when Chinese Premier Li Keqiang said that China will advance free trade talks with the Gulf Cooperation Council members and Israel when delivering his government work report to the National People's Congress on Thursday.

Despite a lack of a schedule to start the free trade negotiations, Vilnai expressed his confidence that the two countries would embark on the talks as soon as possible.

Speaking highly of China's initiatives of the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road, Vilnai said he is glad that Israel, located on the eastern coast of the Mediterranean, is part of the initiatives.

Referring to a new port being built by a Chinese company in the Israeli city of Ashdod, the ambassador said he hoped that Chinese companies would help construct a railway linking Ashdod and the Israeli Red Sea port of Eilat to facilitate East-West trade.

Vilnai also hoped that more and more Chinese tourists would travel to his country after China's Hainan Airlines begins its direct flights between Beijing and Tel Aviv in September this year.

Israel and China established diplomatic ties in 1992 and two-way trade has increased steadily, reaching over 10 billion dollars in 2013. Currently, China is Israel's third largest trading partner globally and the largest one in Asia.