China-Belgium Expand Economic Cooperation

China has become the largest investment destination to Belgium, the booming bilateral trade became the new highlight of the two countries' economic cooperation, said Liao Liqiang, China's Ambassador to Belgium on Wednesday.

According to him, the number of Belgian enterprises in China has reached more than 300 now, while one-third of them are having more than 20 percent profit.

Belgium is China's sixth-largest trading partner among all the 28 EU member countries. China, as Belgium's second-largest trading partner outside the EU, has rapidly increased its investment in the country. Cumulative non-financial direct investment from China was US$140 million at the end of last year.

Last year, China invested US$82 million in Belgium and Chinese enterprises have invested more than US$650 million accumulatively in the country.

"Bilateral trade has risen from over US$20 million in 1971 to US$26.3 billion last year. Bilateral cooperation has gradually extended to cover various fields of economics and trade, science and technology, education and culture, the ambassador said.