Raad Mahmoud Al-Tal

Following an extended visit to China at the kind invitation of its government to review the country’s Fifteenth Five-Year Economic Plan, I reflected deeply on how to make economic cooperation between Jordan and China more effective. I concluded that the key lies in moving beyond a general framework of economic relations toward clear and well-defined implementation tools. The first step is to establish a Jordanian–Chinese Economic Council, divided into sectoral working groups aligned with Jordan’s Economic Modernization Vision, covering industry, agriculture, technology, tourism, education, and other vital sectors. These groups would be responsible for preparing annual action plans, implementation timelines, and clear performance indicators.

In the industrial sector, a practical option is to launch a pilot Jordanian–Chinese industrial zone as a starting point, with defined incentives and joint management. Licenses and exemptions should be linked to local content requirements, employment of Jordanians, and time-bound knowledge transfer programs. This approach ensures that investment is productive and delivers direct developmental impact.

In trade, there is a clear need to launch a national program dedicated to facilitating Jordanian companies’ entry into the Chinese market. Such a program would provide financing, advisory services, translation, marketing support, and technical assistance to meet Chinese standards. This should be complemented by signing a direct technical agreement for mutual recognition of standards, beginning with priority sectors such as pharmaceuticals and food products.

In agriculture, cooperation can be translated into tangible outcomes through the implementation of joint model agricultural projects based on smart farming and modern irrigation technologies, financed and supported by Chinese expertise in selected regions. These projects should be designed to be scalable for future commercial expansion. In parallel, establishing a Jordanian–Chinese investment fund to finance small and medium-sized enterprises in industry, technology, and agriculture would be an important tool to support productive investment, provided it is managed according to clear commercial criteria.

In the technology sector, a key opportunity lies in establishing a joint Jordanian–Chinese innovation center in Amman or Aqaba, focusing on artificial intelligence, smart cities, and financial technology, and linked to universities and start-ups. This should be accompanied by a clear program to attract Chinese technology companies to establish regional hubs in Jordan, supported by targeted incentives including taxation, residency arrangements, and access to regional markets.

In tourism, penetrating the Chinese market requires a clear plan with specific numerical targets for tourist arrivals over a three-year period, the launch of a digital marketing campaign in the Chinese language, training of Chinese-speaking tour guides, and facilitation of visa procedures through a fast-track channel dedicated to Chinese tourists and investors.

In education, academic exchange programs and scholarships must be aligned with disciplines that are genuinely in demand in the labor market. Joint educational programs should be required to include practical training within Chinese companies operating in Jordan, thereby strengthening the link between education and the economy.

The development of Jordanian–Chinese relations does not depend on intentions or memoranda of understanding, but on clear implementation tools, accountable institutions, defined timelines, and measurable outcomes. Only then can this relationship be transformed into a genuine economic partnership with tangible impact.