Chinese enterprise giants form association to boost Israel operations

"Our goal is to bridge between the association and various entities in Israel," said George Guan, president of the Chinese Enterprises Association in Israel.

Yisrael Katz, Israel's Minister of Transport, speaks as he stands next to employees of China Railway Engineering Corporation, during an event marking the beginning of underground construction work of the light rail, using a Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM), in Tel Aviv, Israel February 19, 2017. (photo credit: BAZ RATNER/REUTERS)
Yisrael Katz, Israel's Minister of Transport, speaks as he stands next to employees of China Railway Engineering Corporation, during an event marking the beginning of underground construction work of the light rail, using a Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM), in Tel Aviv, Israel February 19, 2017.
(photo credit: BAZ RATNER/REUTERS)
A group of major Chinese businesses launched the Chinese Enterprises Association in Israel (CEAI) on Wednesday to promote their operations in Israel and assist them in interactions with local government institutions, authorities and other organizations.
Members in the CEAI come from various fields including the food industry, aviation, construction and engineering. 
Association members include the China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation Israel Branch (CCECC), the Pan-Mediterranean Engineering Co. Ltd (PMEC), China Railway Tunnel Group Co. Ltd (CRTG) and Sinohydro Corporation Limited Israel Branch (SCL).
"Alongside the strengthening of relations between the members of the association, our goal is to bridge between the association and various entities in Israel. We view the commercial relations with Israel as a significant and long-term partnership," said George Guan, president of CEAI.
Since the establishment of diplomatic relations in 1992, bilateral trade between Israel and China has grown from $50 million to $13.1 billion annually. Vice President of China Wang Qishan's current four-day visit to Israel will likely provide a further boost to bilateral economic relations.