Financial protocol book | Page 12

合作与发展——纪念中以政府贷款合作20周年 Foreword by the Israeli Minister of Finance Mr. Moshe Kahlon in honor of the 20th Anniversary of the Financial Protocol The Government of the State of Israel views the growing and strengthening economic relationship with the People's Republic of China as one of strategic and long-term importance. In the more than 20 years since its signing the Financial Protocol has further solidified the two nations' long and lasting history of mutual cooperation and collaboration. Since 1995 the bilateral trade volume between Israel and China has continued to grow, and over 300 transactions have been executed under the framework of three successive Financial Protocols, in a total capacity of more than USD 1.7 billion, in various fields such as healthcare, agriculture, water treatment, and education. Furthermore, the third and most recent Financial Protocol was expanded three times between 2013 and 2015. These measures, as well as the longevity of the agreements, are unambiguous testimony to our wish to take cooperation with China to new heights. Israel looks forward to further expansions of the protocol to new fields and sectors, enabling the two economies to benefit from each other's advantages. We believe that our mutual goal to create innovation-driven economies can be achieved and accelerated by synergies between our two countries. 6