Israel to further develop Israel-China relationship: president

JERUSALEM - Israeli President Reuven Rivlin said Wednesday that Israel is willing to make more efforts to further develop the Israel-China relationship.

Rivlin made the remarks when he received the credentials presented by the new Chinese ambassador to Israel, Cai Run, at the president's residence.

The Israeli president asked Cai to convey his sincere greetings and best wishes to Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Lauding the long history of the friendship between the Jewish and Chinese peoples, Rivlin said Israel will always keep in mind the selfless help provided by the Chinese people to the Jewish refugees during the World War II.

In recent years, said the Israeli president, the bilateral relationship has made positive headway and the cooperation between the two sides has yielded fruitful results in various fields.

Noting that next year will mark the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between Israel and China, Rivlin said that Israel is willing to make more efforts to further develop its relationship with China.

For his part, the Chinese ambassador conveyed President Xi Jinping's cordial greetings and best wishes to Rivlin.

Cai said that the Chinese and Jewish peoples have shared a time-honored friendship despite the vast geographic distance, and the establishment of diplomatic ties in 1992 turned a new page in the history of the China-Israel relations.

In 2017, China and Israel established an innovative comprehensive partnership, ushering in a new stage of development for the bilateral ties, Cai added.

The two countries and peoples have understood, supported and helped each other in the joint fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, said the Chinese envoy, adding that China and Israel have made positive progress in practical cooperation despite the impact of the pandemic and other factors.

Cai pledged to work with friends in both countries to implement the important consensus reached by the leaders of the two states and make contributions to advancing the China-Israel innovative comprehensive partnership.

Cai arrived in Israel on Jan 22, as the ninth Chinese ambassador to the country.