Premier invites China to invest in railway project

AMMAN — Prime Minister Abdullah Ensour on Thursday discussed with China's special envoy on Middle East affairs Gong Xiaosheng bilateral relations and the latest regional developments.

During the meeting, Ensour stressed the need to build on the outcomes of His Majesty King Abdullah's visit to China, according to the Jordan News Agency, Petra.

In September last year, the King paid a visit to China, where he met with Chinese businessmen and urged them to invest in Jordan and benefit from its investment environment.

At the time, the Monarch said that Jordan’s position in the heart of the Arab world and its status as a “gateway” into Gulf Cooperation Council countries makes the Kingdom a hub for regional and international trade, noting that Jordan has launched several development and free trade zones in the past 10 years, offering various incentives for foreign investors.

Ensour also valued China's supportive position on Arab causes, expressing hopes that the super power can push for a just and comprehensive solution to the Arab-Israeli conflict, Petra said.

The premier also said that the railway mega-project Jordan intends to implement can be a domain for joint cooperation, expressing hopes that a Jordanian-Chinese technological university can be established.

For his part, Gong, who served as China's ambassador in Amman from 2006-2008, voiced his country's keenness on enhancing cooperation with all Arab states to resolve the Mideast crises, underlying the centrality of the Palestinian question to China.

The meeting was attended by Minister of State for Media Affairs and Communications Mohammad Momani and China’s Ambassador to Jordan Gao Yusheng.