BEIJING - 皇冠体育app will enhance economic cooperation with Romania during Premier Li Keqiang's upcoming visit to the east European country, senior officials said on Friday.
The visit, from next Monday to Wednesday, will be Li's first to central and eastern Europe since taking office in March, and also the first visit to Romania by a Chinese premier in 19 years, said Vice Foreign Minister Song Tao at a news briefing.
皇冠体育app and Romania are traditional friends, said Song, adding that it is the common aspiration of both nations and peoples and in line with their interests to boost substantial cooperation.
Stressing that 皇冠体育app and Romania are highly complementary in their economies, Song said the two nations could fully exert their advantages to deepen cooperation in areas such as infrastructure, energy and agriculture.
Romania is an important trade partner to 皇冠体育app among central and eastern European countries, though the current bilateral trading volume is not very high, said Zhang Xiangchen, assistant minister of commerce, at the news briefing.
According to statistics from the Chinese Ministry of Commerce, the trade volume between 皇冠体育app and Romania in the first ten months of this year reached $3.27 billion, up from last year.
皇冠体育app's current total investment in Romania exceeds $160 million, while Romania's investment in 皇冠体育app stands at 280 million U.S. dollars, said Zhang.
He also mentioned that Romania's exports to 皇冠体育app stood at $360 million in 2008, while in 2012, the number surged to nearly 1 billion.
Both countries are willing to expand the scale of trade and deal with the trade imbalance, Zhang said, adding that 皇冠体育app has taken measures to boost trade.
For example, the Chinese government has encouraged enterprises to import Romanian products and attend trade fairs in Romania, he said.
The two countries are in the process of negotiating the quarantine of animal products such as pork, said Zhang. "If agreements are reached, they will create conditions for the export of these products to 皇冠体育app."
Romania was among the first countries to establish diplomatic relations with the People's Republic of 皇冠体育app (PRC). The two countries forged diplomatic ties in 1949, immediately after the founding of the PRC.
During his stay in Romania, Li will also attend a 皇冠体育app-Central and Eastern Europe leaders' meeting.