Most Israeli Firms at China Import Expo Will Be Diamond Cutters, Consul General Says
Qian Xiaoyan
DATE:  Nov 02 2018
/ SOURCE:  Yicai
Most Israeli Firms at China Import Expo Will Be Diamond Cutters, Consul General Says Most Israeli Firms at China Import Expo Will Be Diamond Cutters, Consul General Says

(Yicai Global) Nov. 2 -- Some 10 Israeli companies, including food processing firm Tnuva and six diamond polishing companies, will take part in the first China International Import Expo, the country's consul general to Shanghai said.

Israel will arrange an exhibition area of over 500 square meters with the theme of innovation at the CIIE, Eyal Propper said during an exclusive interview with Yicai Global.

The CIIE will be held at the National Convention & Exhibition Center in Shanghai from Nov. 5 to 10, and the city is expecting participants from 130 countries and more than 2,800 firms. 

Government-backed Israel Export and International Cooperation Institute will lead the Middle Eastern country's firms to show their know-how in sectors such as high-tech, new energy, biotech, and medicine.

Israel's Science and Technology Minister Ofir Akunis will also lead a delegation to visit Shanghai at the invitation of China's Ministry of Science and Technology, as well as the Shanghai government to sign a memorandum on cooperation, Propper said.

China has become Israel's largest trading partner in Asia and the third-largest such ally globally. The pair has signed a cooperation plan that spans till 2021 and senior officials met on Oct. 25 to talk about deepening cross-border collaboration between the two countries' firms.

Tnuva will bring its own chefs to cook Jewish food such as pastries with ketchup and Mediterranean hummus with yogurt sauce for fair visitors to try, the Chief Executive Eyal Malis said to Yicai Global. China's food and beverages maker Bright Food acquired Tnuva in 2014 in a deal that was the second-largest in China-Israel relations at the time. 

Six companies from the Israel Diamond Exchange, which is the world's largest diamond trading complex, will also join the CIIE. Half of the world's diamonds are processed in Israel, making the country one of the world's largest exporters of such products, Propper said.

Metal cutting tools maker Iscar is also participating in the trade fair at a market that is the third-largest for it in the world. The Migdal Tefen-based firm set up a China branch in 1998.
It will be more convenient for Israeli companies to invest in China after the CIIE, Propper said, hoping that more will come to find new business opportunities. For now, there are 7,000 Israelis living in Shanghai.

The Israeli delegation will hold many large-scale activities in Shanghai to promote China-Israel cooperation on innovation, economy and trade, Propper said, adding that Israelis working in Shanghai will be invited to join those activities.

Editor: Emmi Laine 

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Keywords:   CIIE,China-Israel