China has surpassed the United States to become Austria's largest trade partner outside Europe, said visiting Christoph Leitl, chairman of Austria's Federal Economic Chamber.
Leitl arrived in Shanghai on Monday and will leave on Tuesday afternoon.
During his stay in Shanghai, Leitl met with Shanghai Mayor Han Zheng, representatives from the Shanghai development and planning commission and authorities from prestigious Fudan University.
Leitl has signed an agreement on the training of medical administration staff with the university and will sign a cooperation agreement with the Shanghai council for the promotion of international trade.
Trade volume between the two nations in 2002 rose by 16.3 percent year-on-year, reaching 2.56 billion euros (US$2.71 billion), with Austria's exports to China rising 37.8 percent year-on-year, reaching 1.16 billion euros (some US$1.23 billion).
Austria has thus far opened three business offices and three representative offices across China, together with the presence of 160 Austrian companies in China, most of which are located in the eastern part of the country.
(Xinhua News Agency April 7, 2003)
