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Ammon News - Monarch highlights Jordan’s strong reform process, stable investment environment

AMMAN — His Majesty King Abdullah on Tuesday emphasised the importance of Jordan’s continued drive towards democratic reform and noted that the Kingdom has maintained an attractive environment for foreign investments despite regional challenges.

At the opening of the first Jordan-China Business Forum in Beijing, the King reiterated that Jordan is keen to strengthen relations between the two countries in all fields, according to a Royal Court statement.

Jordan’s reform process is continuing in an evolutionary, balanced and comprehensive manner at the political, economic and social levels, the King said at the forum.

Despite the global economic crisis and the challenges that the Middle East is facing, the country has maintained an attractive, secure and stable climate for investors, the King said, emphasising the key role the private sector is playing in boosting the investment environment, the statement added.

During the forum, organised by the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT) and attracting representatives from China’s mega-companies and economic institutions, along with Jordanian peers, the Monarch urged Chinese businessmen to take part in vital projects in the Kingdom in the fields of energy, water and transport, noting that Jordan represents a gate to reach more than one billion consumers around the globe, thanks to the free trade agreements it has signed with different countries at the regional and the international levels.

King Abdullah invited Chinese businessmen to visit the Kingdom and build on the forum’s recommendations to develop a stronger partnership with their Jordanian counterparts in the industrial and commercial sectors.

The country is continuously working to ease obstacles that may hinder the development of cooperation between both countries, especially in the fields of the economy and commerce, the King added, according to the statement.

Several ministers and officials as well as a delegation comprising 40 Jordanian businessmen representing the sectors of renewable energy, pharmaceuticals and manufacturing industries were present at the forum.

CCPIT Chairman Wan Jifei expressed his appreciation of His Majesty’s support for efforts to promote Chinese investments in the Kingdom, highlighting the prospects of economic cooperation, which, he said, are strengthened by the “solid bonds between Jordan and China and the agreements signed between them”, according to the statement.

Jifei also expressed hope for further efforts that will boost joint commercial exchange volume between the two countries, commending the competitiveness of the Kingdom’s business environment.

In 2012, the Kingdom’s exports to China amounted to JD132 million while its imports from China totalled more than JD1 billion, the statement said, adding that up until 2012, around $93 million worth of Chinese investments benefited from Jordan’s Investment Promotion Law.

Meanwhile, King Abdullah also met with several political, intellectual and academic Chinese figures on Tuesday during a visit to the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, where he highlighted the historic ties and strategic cooperation between Jordan and China, the statement said.

At the academy, considered one of the most important intellectual institutions in Asia and in the world, the meeting focused on the developments witnessed in the Middle East, especially in relation to the peace process and the crisis in Syria.

King Abdullah reiterated Jordan’s support for the two-state solution as being the sole means to end the decades of conflict between the Palestinians and the Israelis and to achieve just and comprehensive peace in the region.

He also highlighted the Kingdom’s efforts and services offered to Syrian refugees, stressing the importance of the assistance and support of the international community in helping Jordan continue to provide humanitarian aid to those in need, the statement added.

Cautioning against the dangers of sectarian-fuelled conflict to the region, the King cited the recommendations made at the conclusion of the 16th General Conference of the Royal Aal al-Bayt Institute for Islamic Thought, held last month in Amman, which called for reconciliation, more interfaith dialogue and casting away sectarian violence.

Wang Weiguang, the academy’s president, commended the King’s vision and wisdom in dealing with regional challenges and his leadership in the reform process in Jordan, the statement said.

At the meeting, several Chinese intellectual figures expressed their appreciation of the Kingdom’s contributions to global peace and security.

The King also met with Chinese State Councillor Yang Jiechi, with whom he discussed ways to boost bilateral relations and regional developments, especially the repercussions of the Syrian crisis and Middle East peace efforts, according to the statement. (The Jordan Times)