JERUSALEM, Sept. 16 -- China's eastern province of Jiangsu and Israel have signed 14 deals to enhance hi-tech cooperation.

These deals, involving sectors in life science, medical devices, and smart manufacturing, were signed on Sunday during the Jiangsu (Israel) Opening and Innovation Cooperation Symposium held in the Israeli city of Tel Aviv.

Both Israel and Jiangsu Province have understood the meaning of building relations and the importance of conducting cooperation between the two sides, said Matan Vilnai, president of the Israel-Asia Chamber of Commerce, who served as former Israeli ambassador to China.

An innovation center set up by the two sides is expected to be inaugurated in Tel Aviv on Sept. 18.

The decision to open the center was the right decision in order to promote the relations between the two sides, said Vilnai, adding more efforts should be made to build the bridge linking China with Israel.

China is on the way of building itself into an innovation-driven country, which has created good opportunities for boosting hi-tech cooperation between China and Israel, said Zhang Xingfu, counsellor of the economic and commercial counselor's office in the Chinese embassy in Israel.

The cooperation between Jiangsu and Israel in the sectors of electronic information, biomedicine, as well as energy and environment have been further enhanced since the two sides implemented the industrial R&D cooperation plan in 2008, said Zhang.

At the symposium, Jiangsu provincial officials, and the officials from the cities of Nanjing, Changzhou and Nantong in the province, gave detailed introductions about the province's and cities' geographical, economic and cultural conditions and investment environment.

More than 100 delegates from Jiangsu Province and Israel attended the symposium.