UPDATE - Turkish-Chinese ties contribute to global peace, prosperity: Turkish foreign minister

UPDATES WITH MORE REMARKS FROM TURKISH FOREIGN MINISTER, EDITS THROUGHOUT

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.

- 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 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 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.