In their foreign trade China and Ukraine are expected to reach a new record, Zhang Hanhui, director-general of the China Foreign Ministry's Department of European-Central Asian Affairs said during online conference with Internet users, the Beijing-based UKRINFORM correspondent reported.

"The new record is expected in foreign trade between the two countries," said the diplomat. He recalled that in 2010 the trade turnover between the two countries stood at USD 7.7 billion, an increase of 40 times compared to that at the beginning of the establishment of diplomatic relations in 1992. And in 2011 the trade turnover closed to USD 10 billion.

"Mutual investment also increased significantly," said Zhang, without specifying a figure.

He emphasized that presently the sides are planning to implement a number of major trade and economic projects in energy, construction of basic infrastructure, modernization of coal mines and factories.

The diplomat also added that China and Ukraine have made new steps in cooperation in the fields of aviation, aerospace, scientific, engineering, agriculture, mineral resources, etc., "and co-operation in scientific technology and agriculture promises especially great potential for development".

The sides formed an intergovernmental commission on cooperation at the level of vice-premiers to harmonize and coordinate the interaction between the two countries in various fields.

Zhang Hanhui noted that Ukraine is "an important strategic partner of China in the CIS", with whom a strategic partnership was formalized last June. "Cooperation between the two countries has great potential and broad prospects," he said.
 

Ukrinform