Arab-China trade expected to reach $100 bln by 2015

The total volume of trade between Arab countries and China will reach 100 billion U.S. dollars by 2015, said president of the Council of the General Union of Chambers of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture for Arab Countries Adnan Kassar on Sunday.

Kassar, who is now in Amman to attend the second conference of Arab-China Business Conference, said the trade volume between Arab states and China has reached 51.3 billion dollars in 2005, and the figure will reach 100 billion dollars by 2015.

"The current economic relations and trade between China and the Arab world has reached high levels," Kassar told Xinhua, adding that the Arab businessmen will widen and extend their relations with China.

The conference, which will be held on June 18-19 under the theme of "Deepening Cooperation-Partnership in Prosperity," is organized by the China Council for Promoting International Trade, Arab Businessmen Federation and Arab Chambers of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture.

The conference includes workshops on energy, oil, trade exchange, tourism, transport, industry, communication, information technology, housing, construction, agriculture, irrigation, environment and medium and small-sized projects.

It will also dedicate two sessions to bilateral meetings between Chinese and Arab businessmen.

The first conference of Arab and Chinese businessmen was held in Beijing in 2005.