CAIRO - China will launch later this month a non-stop air service to Cairo to build on a growing traffic and economic links with Egypt, a Chinese diplomat has said. "The numbers of Chinese tourists to Egypt last year reached 90,000, two times higher than the numbers in the previous three or four years," added the Chinese Ambassador in Egypt Song Aiguo. He put the volume of trade between his country and Egypt at 4.75 billion dollars during the period from January to August 2010, expecting the figure to exceed six billion by the end of this year.The trade balance is in favour of China with around six billion dollars. "Chinese investments in Egypt are on the increase, and according to information available from the Egyptian Ministry of Investment, China is among the top investors," added the diplomat through an interpreter in an interview. "I think Egypt has a lot of advantages to be investment-friendly. It has a distinguished geographical location, human resources and a favourable investment atmosphere." Describing China's ties with Egypt as the strongest in the Middle East, Aiguo cited strong diplomatic co-operation with Cairo. "Egypt has a special standing in the region and Africa. It plays a key role in preserving peace and stability in the Middle East," he said. Aigu arrived in Cairo last month to serve also as China's representative to the Arab League. His previous post was Director General of the Department of West Asian and North African Affairs at the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs. "We in China believe that our country has a history, but when we come to Egypt, we realise that it has a longer history than China's."
