El-Haj Tawfiq: Establishing a Jordanian–Chinese Business Council

16/07/2026

 

Amman Chamber of Commerce Chairman Khalil El-Haj Tawfiq called for a new phase of institutional cooperation between the Jordanian and Chinese private sectors through the establishment of a Jordanian–Chinese Business Council to serve as a permanent platform for strengthening economic and investment relations. He also proposed the creation of an Entrepreneurs Council dedicated to enhancing communication between startups and entrepreneurs in both countries, facilitating the exchange of expertise, and fostering future partnerships, particularly in the information technology sector.

The remarks came during a meeting between the Board of Directors of the Amman Chamber of Commerce and Guo Wei, Ambassador of the People's Republic of China to Jordan, to discuss ways of advancing Jordanian–Chinese economic relations and building on the strategic partnership between the two countries in a manner that strengthens private-sector cooperation and opens new horizons for investment and trade.

Al-Haj Tawfiq stressed that Jordanian–Chinese relations are founded on a long-standing legacy of friendship and mutual respect and have witnessed a qualitative leap since the strategic partnership between the two countries was announced in 2015. He noted that the next phase should shift economic relations beyond trade toward a broader partnership based on investment, joint production, and technology transfer, generating mutual benefits and supporting sustainable economic growth.

He pointed out that China is now one of Jordan's most important trading partners. He added that Jordan's strategic location, stability, and extensive network of free trade agreements make it an ideal gateway for Chinese companies seeking access to regional markets. Jordan also possesses competitive export products, particularly potash, phosphate, fertilizers, pharmaceuticals, and food products, providing significant opportunities to expand Jordanian exports and attract high-quality Chinese investments.

Al-Haj Tawfiq praised the outcomes of the Summer Davos 2026 (World Economic Forum Annual Meeting of the New Champions), hosted by the Chinese city of Dalian, saying the event delivered messages that reinforce economic openness and international cooperation. He emphasized the importance of building on its outcomes by strengthening communication between the Jordanian and Chinese business communities. He also called for organizing a meeting bringing together Jordanian investors and importers with the Chinese Ambassador and the Embassy's Commercial Attaché to discuss the main challenges facing bilateral trade and review available investment opportunities.

He further stressed the importance of introducing additional visa facilitation measures for Jordanian businesspeople and investors to enhance direct engagement with Chinese companies, promote trade, explore investment opportunities, and establish sustainable economic partnerships that serve the interests of both friendly countries.

For his part, Chinese Ambassador Guo Wei affirmed that Jordanian–Chinese relations continue to develop within the framework of the strategic partnership that has linked the two countries for more than a decade and enjoys the support of both nations' leadership. He highlighted the importance of aligning Jordan's modernization efforts with China's development path and translating mutual understandings into practical programs and projects that serve the interests of the two friendly peoples.

The Ambassador explained that China has achieved remarkable progress over recent decades in the fields of economic development, technology, innovation, and investment, making it a global model for development. He noted that the experiences of many Chinese cities and advanced industrial zones demonstrate the country's success in establishing specialized hubs for manufacturing, technology, trade, and logistics, creating broad opportunities for knowledge exchange and sustainable economic and investment partnerships with Jordan.

He affirmed the Embassy's readiness, through its Economic and Commercial Section, to strengthen cooperation with the Amman Chamber of Commerce, facilitate communication between business communities in both countries, and encourage increased imports of Jordanian products, thereby expanding bilateral trade and building sustainable private-sector partnerships.

The Ambassador also emphasized the importance of attracting high-quality Chinese investments to Jordan, particularly in high value-added sectors, to support joint production projects, technology transfer, the exchange of industrial expertise, the development of Jordanian talent, and the country's manufacturing, export, and regional market access capabilities.

He further stressed China's commitment to expanding trade and investment cooperation with Jordan and exploring new opportunities in industry, energy, infrastructure, water, and the digital economy. He added that Jordan's stability, strategic location, and trade agreements make it an important partner and a gateway for Chinese companies into regional markets.

Members of the Board of Directors of the Amman Chamber of Commerce emphasized the importance of removing obstacles affecting bilateral trade, facilitating the entry of Jordanian products into the Chinese market, and encouraging investment and production partnerships between Jordanian and Chinese companies in order to promote technology transfer and strengthen cooperation in priority economic sectors.

They also called for expanding cooperation in the tourism sector by capitalizing on Jordan's tourism, historical, archaeological, and religious attractions, strengthening partnerships between tourism companies in both countries, and studying the possibility of launching charter flights to increase the number of Chinese tourists visiting Jordan, given the absence of direct air services.

The Board members further stressed the importance of advancing cooperation in artificial intelligence and the digital economy, while encouraging Arabic-language education programs for non-native speakers to enhance cultural exchange and support economic and investment relations between the two countries.

The meeting was attended by Amman Chamber of Commerce Board members Bahjat Hamdan and Falah Al Sughayer, as well as Lou Shenghao, Commercial and Economic Attaché at the Embassy of the People's Republic of China in Jordan.

Trade between Jordan and China continued to grow during 2025. Jordan's imports from China reached approximately JOD 4.18 billion, while Jordanian exports to China rose to JOD 268.4 million, representing an increase of 16.9% compared with 2024.