THE PERSIDENT                                

                                                                                                                                Jerusalem, 20th January, 2002
                                                                                                                               7th Shvat, 5762

Dear Mr. President,

On the occasion of the tenth anniversary of the establishment of the diplomatic relations between the State of Israel and the People’s Republic of China, I would like to extend warm congratulations to Your Excellency, the Government and the People of China, on behalf of the people of Israel.

China and Israel are situated a considerable distance apart and yet they have much in common. Both countries have ancient cultures , dating back thousands of years and glorious histories. Both nations underwent difficult periods in their past and were “reborn” half a century ago.

I am proud of the fact Israel was the first state in the Middle East to recognize the People’s Republic of China in 1950 and I am encouraged by the great potential and the wide fields for cooperation existing in the relations between our two countries.

Israel attaches great importance to its relations with China. During the last ten years, bilateral relations between Israel and China have developed in a large variety of fields. I believe that we will continue to develop our relations for the benefits of both our Peoples.

I hope, Mr. President, that the friendly relations between us will strengthen and deepen and that we will together be able to take off to new common objectives.

I wish you good health and the People of China the fulfillment of their personal and national aims. I look forward to meet you at an opportune time in order to exchange views on current events.
                               
                                                                                                                                Yours sincerely,

                                                                                                                                 Moshe Katsav
             
His Excellency
Jiang Zemin
President of the People’s Republic of China.