The Antwerp World Diamond Centre (AWDC) has announced an investment agreement with the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC), AFP reports, quoting AWDC CEO Ari Epstein.

In a Flemish-language statement published on the AWDC website, Epstein said that this deal marks the first time a Chinese bank had fully committed to financing the diamond sector through Antwerp.

Jiang Jianqing of ICBC noted that "the diamond is a special investment product" and said his institution believed that the Belgian economy, via its diamond industry, would play a "predominant role in ending the financial crisis."

The AWDC is planning to promote Antwerp to China's top jewelers through a 10-day road show scheduled to begin on October 24.