Chinese Vice Premier Li Keqiang, in a meeting with Israeli Minister of Finance Yuval Steinitz?in Beijing on?Monday, called for closer cooperation in areas including agriculture and clean energy.

Chinese Vice Premier Li Keqiang (R) meets with Israeli Minister of Finance Yuval Steinitz in Beijing, capital of China, on May 10, 2010. [Huang Jingwen/Xinhua]

He hailed the progress of bilateral exchanges and cooperation since the establishment of diplomatic ties 18 years ago, citing frequent high-level visits, vigorous people-to-people exchanges and mutually beneficial cooperation.

The two countries had witnessed the smooth growth of cooperation in the areas of infrastructure construction, technological research and exploration, he said.

China was speeding up the transformation of its economic growth pattern and adjustment of its economic structure, said Li.

Israel enjoyed world leading technologies in the areas of agriculture, water resources management, clean energy and biomedicine, which offered huge potential for closer bilateral cooperation, he said.

Steinitz said Israel valued relations with China, and vowed joint efforts to move forward mutually beneficial cooperation.

China was playing an increasingly constructive role in the world economy and China's development offered great opportunities for Israel, he said.