Israel's Olmert has a 'spiritual ' connection to China

Jan 9, 2007, 9:42 GMT

Beijing - Israel's Prime Minister Ehud Olmert arrived on Tuesday for a three-day-long official visit to Beijing during which trade ties and Iran's nuclear drive will be on the agenda, but it is also a sort of homecoming for the leader.

Olmert's parents grew up in China, before they resettled in 1933 in today's Israel.

'I have a spiritual connection to China. China is the country which hosted my parents. They studied in China, they grew up in China and they spoke Chinese,' Olmert told Xinhua press agency. 'The Chinese culture is part of my upbringing and my memories as a young boy in Israel. China is not just another country for me.'

His grandparents fled Tsarist Russia in 1917 with thousands of other Jews and established themselves in Harbin in northeast China.

Olmert's parents told him many stories about China, where his father was a history teacher.

'We have great love for the Chinese People and we are grateful to the Chinese people for the warm and friendly treatment they gave the Jews in Shanghai and Harbin during the early 1900s and the second Wold War.'      Olmert's grandfather is buried in Harbin, which is the largest Jewish cemetery in Eastern Asia. Olmert visited the grave while visiting China in 2004 as the Minister of Trade and Industry, but said he won't have time during this visit.

'Harbin is always in my heart,' said Olmert, who was born in 1945 in Israel.

Olmert's visit marks 15 years since Beijing and Israel established diplomatic relations, and he is the third Israeli head of state to visit China.

During his three-day visit Olmert will explore ways to double Israel's trade ties with China to 6 billion US dollars a year in several years time.       

Iran's nuclear drive will be the topic of talks Wednesday between Olmert and his colleague Wen Jiabao. He is scheduled to meet with President Hu Jintao on Thursday.