(MENAFN - Jordan Times) The government on Monday called on Jordanian and Chinese businesspeople to implement joint investments to further boost ties between the two countries.
Industry and Trade Secretary General Maha Ali said there is "large room" for increased cooperation between the two countries in different sectors and called for intensified meetings between businesspeople from the two countries to explore potential investments in the Kingdom.
"The Kingdom is keen on attracting more Chinese investments and providing facilities and incentives to investors and introducing them to the business environment in the country," she said yesterday during a seminar titled "Hong Kong-Your Gateway to China".
The official indicated that Jordan attracted 93 million in Chinese investments in the fields of garments, industry and electronics, stressing that there is potential for more investments.
Highlighting the Kingdom's stability and security as key factors in attracting investments, she said Jordan is signatory to free trade agreements with several countries such as Turkey, the US and Canada, which gives investors in Jordan the opportunity to penetrate markets worldwide.
She added that businesspeople from the two sides play a key role in boosting the trade volume, noting that Jordan's imports from China reached about 2 billion, while exports to China stood at about 197 million.
Riyad Seifi, president of Amman Chamber of Commerce that organised the seminar in cooperation with the Hong Kong Trade Development Council, described Jordan's geographic location as strategic for investors to penetrate markets in the region.
"Jordan's advanced infrastructure is crucial in attracting investments and rendering them a success. We look forward to attracting more Chinese investments in fields of tourism, industry and commerce," he said.
At the seminar, Stephen Wong, regional director of the Hong Kong Trade Development Council, stressed the importance of boosting ties with Jordan.
He indicated that China attracted about 100 billion in foreign direct investments in 2011.