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Al-Ahram Weekly 20 - 26 April 2000 Issue No. 478 
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Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Al-Ahram Weekly 20 - 26 April 2000 Issue No. 478
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| Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Egypt Region International Economy Opinion Culture Heritage Features Travel Living Sports Profile People Time Out Chronicles Cartoons Letters
Bilateral agenda
BOOSTING bilateral relations topped the agenda of talks between President Hosni Mubarak and Chinese President Jiang Zemin on Monday. Meeting in Ras Al-Tin Palace in Alexandria, the two leaders discussed ways of promoting economic ties and technology cooperation as well as investments. Jiang said Beijing wants stronger political and cultural ties with Cairo.In a statement issued before the talks, China called for "more cooperation in political, economic, cultural and international relations" between the two countries. "Egypt is a very important state in the Arab and African region and it has a special influence on regional and international relations," Jiang said.
The two leaders also discussed the Middle East peace process which is at a standstill. The Chinese president arrived in Egypt after visiting Israel and Palestinian self-rule areas. After Alexandria, Jiang was scheduled to visit Turkey, Greece and South Africa.
On Monday, Egyptian and Chinese delegations discussed cooperation in a new private sector industrial zone in the Gulf of Suez where a petrochemical plant, an oil refinery, a fertiliser plant, an automobile parts factory and a steel mill will be built. Also on the agenda were ideas for increasing Egypt's exports to China, facilitating trade and promoting tourism.
Mubarak stressed Egypt's need for Chinese investments, which amount to only $17 million a year, as well as expertise. Beijing has been encouraging Chinese firms to invest in Egypt because of tax exemptions to be enjoyed for Egyptian exports to African and Arab regional groupings, as well as the European Union.
