Arab and Chinese businessmen gathered in Jordan for a two-day conference to find ways of bolstering trade between them.

It covered discussions on energy and oil, tourism, transportation, industrial area, telecommunications and IT, construction and building, agriculture and agricultural industries. The Second Arab-Chinese Conference was organised by the Arab League and Chinese Chamber of Commerce.

The Bahraini delegates to the conference included Bahrain Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCCI) acting treasurer Jehad Hassan Boukamal, board member Jawad Al Hawaj and chief executive Ahmed Najm Abdulla Al Najm.

The delegates will discuss ways of tackling a widening trade gap.

Last year's balance of trade between the two countries amounted to a deficit of BD123 million ($326 million) for Bahrain, a slight decrease from the previous year's deficit of BD129 million.

However, this comes on the back of a surge in imports from the east. During the period of 2002 to 2004 the deficit increased by 59 per cent, then rose again the following year by 63 per cent.

Bahrain is exporting more than 61 million litres of methanol worth BD4 million every year.

Other exports include aluminium alloys bars and rods, fibreglass for prefabricated buildings, fresh offal, copper waste and scrap, seafood and aluminium plates.

The main imports from China are petroleum calcinated coke, worth BD17 million, machine parts (BD10 million) and silicon (BD3.6 million). TradeArabia News Service