CHINA'S CONSUL GENERAL CHANG BIE SAID TODAY THAT THE SAUDI-CHINESE RELATIONS, WHICH STARTED IN1990, HAVE WITNESSED REMARKABLE DEVELOPMENT, NOTABLY IN THE ECONOMIC AND TRADE DOMAINS. SPEAKING AT A PRESS MEETING AT THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY HERE TODAY, THE CONSUL GENERAL SAID THE VOLUME OF TRADE EXCHANGE BETWEEN THE KINGDOM OF SAUDI ARABIA AND CHINA IN 2005 AMOUNTED TO $16.07 BILLION. THIS FIGURE CONSTITUTES AN INCREASE OF 65 PERCENT COMPARED TO THE FIGURE IN 2004. HE NOTED THAT THE CHINESE EXPORTS TO THE KINGDOM AMOUNTED TO $3.85 BILLION, WHILE THE IMPORTS OF CHINA FROM THE KINGDOM AMOUNTED TO $12.246 BILLION. THE CONSUL GENERAL, WHO WAS SPEAKING ON THE OCCASION OF THE ORGANIZATION OF THE CHINESE GOODS EXPO IN JEDDAH NEXT MONDAY, SAID THE KINGDOM HAS BECOME THE NINTH IN THE LIST OF COUNTRIES OF CHINA)S IMPORTS. HE POINTED OUT THAT THE VOLUME OF TRADE EXCHANGE BETWEEN THE KINGDOM AND CHINA AMOUNTED TO 19.4 PERCENT OF THE TOTAL VALUE OF CHINA'S TRADE WITH THE COUNTRIES OF WEST ASIA AND AFRICA. THE PERIOD FROM 2001 TO 2005 WITNESSED SWIFT TRADE DEVELOPMENT BETWEEN CHINA AND THE KINGDOM, HE SAID, NOTING THAT TRADE EXCHANGE BETWEEN THE TWO COUNTRIES INCREASED BY 41.3 PERCENT ANNUALLY. THE CHINESE EXPORTS TO THE KINGDOM INCLUDE MECHANICAL DEVICES, ELECTRIC MACHINES, CLOTHES, TEXTILES, PRODUCTS OF HIGHER TECHNOLOGY AND SHOES, WHILE THE SAUDI EXPORTS TO CHINA INCLUDE OIL, LIQUIFIED GAS AND PRIMARY RAW MATERIALS. THE CONSUL GENERAL SAID 149 CHINESE COMPANIES WILL PARTICIPATE IN THE EXPO.
