UPDATES WITH MORE REMARKS BY TURKISH FOREIGN MINISTER
By Dilara Hamit and Zehra Nur Duz
Türkiye’s bilateral ties with China will contribute to regional and global peace, as well as prosperity and stability, the Turkish foreign minister said on Thursday.
Speaking at a joint news conference with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi in Beijing, Hakan Fidan said that Türkiye and China have overlapping views in many areas of international relations and that both countries advocate for a fairer understanding to prevail in the international system.
“We are closely following the developments in Asia Pacific and their geopolitical repercussions,” Fidan said.
“We believe that the challenges in Asia Pacific require effective multilateralism, constructive dialogue efforts and cooperation based on common priorities,” he said.
Fidan stated that they had a comprehensive meeting with their delegation and Chinese counterpart and that the meeting was productive.
Bilateral relations continue to progress in line with the common understanding and vision of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Chinese President Xi Jinping, Fidan said, noting: "The great vision put forward by the two political leaders constitutes an important basis for the institutionalization and deepening of the relationship between China and Türkiye in modern times."
"Our aim is to take steps that will increase the welfare of our people on the basis of mutual respect and mutual benefit." he added.
Fidan also said the economy constitutes an important pillar of the relations between the two countries, that the bilateral trade volume reached $48 billion in 2023, and that China is Türkiye's first largest trade partner in Asia and the third-largest trade partner globally.
"This trade is largely in favor of China. We brought up the issue of how we can make trade figures more balanced in all our meetings. I made practical suggestions such as removing restrictions on the import of Turkish agricultural products. Tourism is another area in which we want to further develop our cooperation," he said.
Stating that they aim to bring more Chinese tourists to Türkiye, Fidan said the Chinese minister of culture and tourism will visit Türkiye this week to discuss these issues.
About Türkiye's support to China, Fidan noted that he is fully against armed terrorist movements against China and that he did not think that international attempts, especially those aimed at confusing China and stopping China's economic development, were right.
"The reflection of China's economic competitiveness to the international public opinion in a different way, and the endeavour to produce a different global struggle from here, is indeed an event that rings alarm bells for world peace, stability and development," he said.
- Türkiye supports Ukrainian territorial integrity since beginning
Stating that the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war has also tested international security, stability and prosperity, Fidan stated that Türkiye has strongly supported Ukraine's territorial integrity and sovereignty from the beginning.
"We believe that a fair and lasting peace can only be achieved between the parties through dialogue and negotiation. We are pleased to see that Türkiye and China have a common understanding on establishing peace in Ukraine. We will continue our consultations and work on this issue." he said.
- China's solidarity with Palestine hailed
Fidan also welcomed China's solidarity with the Palestinians and its strong support for a two-state solution.
He praised a call by Chinese President Xi Jinping for a comprehensive and effective international peace conference for a solution in Palestine as “extremely important.”
Israel has continued its brutal offensive on Gaza following the Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas incursion, despite a UN Security Council resolution demanding an immediate cease-fire.
More than 36,400 Palestinians have since been killed in Gaza, the vast majority being women and children, and over 82,600 others injured, according to local health authorities.
Fidan also stressed the importance of Kashgar and Urumqi cities in China, emphasizing their role in the Sino-Turkish and Sino-Islamic world.
He said that Kashgar and Urumqi are two ancient Turkic Islamic cities that contribute to China's cultural richness.
"These cities also play a bridge role between China and the Turkish world as well as between China and the Islamic world. They are symbols of our historical friendship and neighborhood," he added.
Fidan also stated that they welcomed the relationship that China has developed with the Turkic world and the Islamic world in recent years,
"Especially the countries that are members of the Organization of Turkic States, like Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, and Kyrgyzstan, and the trade-based, investment-based relations that it has developed with these countries in recent years are extremely important.
"We support it. Likewise, we expect its relations with Türkiye and Azerbaijan to continue to increase," he added.
Fidan on Tuesday held high-level talks with Chinese officials on the second day of his official visit.
He arrived in Beijing for a three-day official visit and previously was received by Han Zheng, China’s vice president and a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee.
Following engagements in Beijing, the Turkish foreign minister is expected to visit Urumqi and Kashgar later on Tuesday, where he will stay until Wednesday.
Diplomatic relations between Türkiye and China were established in 1971, and bilateral relations were elevated to the level of "strategic cooperation" in 2010.