By Xinhua writers Jiang Xufeng and Chen Yong

    BEIJING, Dec. 19 (Xinhua) -- With the New Year just around the corner, Dr. Maen Nsour, CEO of the Jordan Investment Board (JIB) came to Beijing, his third Chinese tour this year seeking investment and cooperation opportunities.

    As head of the highest Jordanian government authority in charge of investment affairs, he had previously introduced nearly 20 large-scale projects - including the Aqaba port relocation and development program - to Chinese investors and officials in Beijing, and the cities of Shanghai and Guangzhou.

    China's importance to the Arab world is demonstrated by the string of top level officials who visited in 2007. Iraqi President Jalal Talabani, Chairman of Oman's State Council Yahya Bin Mahfoodh Bin Salim Al-Manthri, Jordanian King Abdullah II all made the long journey to Beijing.

    "We believe that Arab countries and China have achieved great progress in economic cooperation, especially in the energy sector," Omani Ambassador to China Abdullah Saleh Al Saadi told Xinhua.

    He said bilateral trade and investment had reached a satisfactory level between China and Oman. Official statistics revealed that the Sino-Omani trade, 90 percent of which is related to oil, stood at 6.47 billion U.S. dollars in 2006, up 49.4 year on year. It is reported that China has become Oman's largest trade partner.

    The second China-Arab Business Conference held this June in Jordan, with the Chinese delegation headed by Luo Haocai, Vice Chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, provided a platform for nearly 1,000 officials and entrepreneurs from China and 16 Arab countries to discuss how to further improve cooperation in economy, trade and investment.

    Ambassador Abdullah Saleh Al Saadi added that the Gulf Cooperation Council, a regional organization comprising Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Oman, predicted that it might sign a free trade agreement with China by the end of this year.

    Figures from Chinese Customs showed that between January and August, trade between China and 22 member states of the League of Arab States expanded 29.6 percent from the same period of last year to 55.08 billion U.S. dollars.

    Experts forecast the whole year figure could hit 80 billion U.S. dollars in 2008 and surpass 100 billion U.S. dollars in 2010.

    The majority of the Chinese exports to Arab countries is made up of mechanical and electrical products, textiles, footwear and bags and China's imports from the Arab countries were mainly crude oil, oil products, chemical materials and chemical fertilizers.

    Commenting on the present China-Arabic relationship, Mohammed A. J. Alshafee, Assistant Head of the mission of the League of Arab States to China told Xinhua it was a "solid strategic partnership."