Chinese ambassador outlines untapped opportunities in bilateral ties

AMMAN — Chinese investments in Jordan are not only offering the Kingdom the benefit of  natural resources, but also creating job opportunities, according to Chinese Ambassador to Jordan Pan Weifang.

The ambassador’s remark came during a lecture organised on Sunday by the Arab Thought Forum (ATF) on the potential and untapped opportunities of Sino-Jordanian ties. 

Weifang highlighted the influence of the Chinese economy, the world’s second largest, and its potential to develop collaborations through providing funds and investments in Jordan. 

The ambassador, who was hosted by ATF Secretary General Mohammad Abu Hammour, highlighted the common interests between the two countries and the fertile investment conditions in Jordan, especially with the Kingdom’s free trade agreements. 

The Chinese factories in Jordan are successful, Weifang added, citing the Chinese garment company that will be listed in the New York exchange market later this year. 

The factories are producing “high quality products” for international brands, holding “Made in Jordan” labels.

The ambassador also pointed the Aqaba-based Chinese factory for LED lights’ “successful collaborations” with municipalities by providing them with power-saving LED lights for street lighting. The lights “save up to 70 per cent of electricity”.

Additionally, a Chinese investment worth $1.6 billion to extract oil shale to produce electricity in Maan Governorate, 220km south of Amman, is expected to create 5,500 job opportunities for Jordanians, the ambassador said.

China is also contributing $5-6 billion to the Jordanian nuclear reactor to help the Kingdom address its shortage of electricity and possibly export energy, he added. 

“More and more [Chinese] investors are visiting Jordan to study the opportunities to open factories in Amman, Sahab, Aqaba and Irbid,” he said. 

The ambassador added that the Sino-Jordanian University would open automation, machinery, technical and computer departments to share Bejing’s experience in these fields with Jordanian students, noting that the embassy is still waiting for the decision of the Higher Education Ministry regarding the location of the university. 

He stressed that the two countries have common interests and visions towards achieving peace and combating terrorism in the region and around the world. 

For his part, Abu Hammour said that the Sino-Jordanian relations are “exemplary” and witnessed a steady progress politically, economically and culturally.