Erdogan to visit China after G20 summit in Japan

By Sena Guler

ANKARA (AA) - Turkey’s president will depart for Japan on Wednesday to attend G20 Osaka summit slated for June 28-29, and will pay an official visit to China following the summit, according to presidential communications director.

“President @RTErdogan will visit Japan and China on 26 June-2 July. Turkey continues to strengthen its political, economic, and cultural relations with all nations to pursue its national interests and utilize strategic platforms for global peace,” Fahrettin Altun said in a Twitter post.

Altun noted that during the summit, “which will bring together the leaders of the world’s largest economies,” Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will highlight the importance of “free trade, sustainable development and the global economy’s stability against the backdrop of trade wars.”

This year’s summit will address the issues -- including global economy, trade and investment, innovation, the environment and energy, employment, women’s empowerment, development, and health.

“In addition to attending the G20 summit, the President will discuss bilateral relations and regional issues at his meetings with fellow leaders, including U.S. President Donald Trump, Russian President Vladimir Putin,” Altun added.

He also noted that Erdogan will visit Beijing, where he will meet his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping and “exchange views on a range of issues to further strengthen” bilateral relations.

Following the inaugural summit of the G20 in November 2008 in Washington, summit meetings were held semiannually until 2010 and annually from 2011 onwards.

Turkey hosted the event in 2015, followed by China in 2016, Germany in 2017 and Argentina in 2018.

The topics of the annual summits vary depending on major global issues and crises at the time.