Wen Jiabao of China to visit Turkey

Sino-Turkish Relations Beyond the Silk Road

The Oct. 2010 visit by Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao to Turkey is expected to boost relations to a new level. China and Turkey intend to raise their trade to $50bn by 2015.

Exchanges between the lands of China and Turkey began more than 2,000 years ago as a result of the ancient Silk Road. Since the establishment of diplomatic relations on August 4, 1971, modern-day Sino-Turkish exchanges increased, especially during the 1980s, leading to enhanced bilateral trade relations. Turkish President Kenan Evren visited China in December 1982, the first visit to Beijing by a Turkish head of state. Three years later, Prime Minister Turgut Ozal visited China. Reciprocal visits to Ankara were made by Chinese President Li Xiannian in March 1984 and Premier Zhao Ziyang in July 1986. Other Turkish leaders who visited China include President Suleyman Demirel (May 1995), Speaker of the Grand National Assembly Necmettin Karaduman (October 1985), and Speaker of the Grand National Assembly Mustafa Kalemli (August 1996). Most importantly, when President Jiang Zemin visited Turkey in April 2002, the two countries signed a joint communiqué regarding increased bilateral cooperation. After the visit of Turkish President Abdullah Gul and a large group of businessmen and state officials to China in June 2009, Li Changchun, a senior official of the Communist Party of China (CPC), arrived in Turkey in April 2010 for an official visit in the company of a delegation of 100 high ranking businessmen. Both nations have been seeking to improve economic and commercial relations and to create opportunities for companies to establish new partnerships. As of 2010, Turkey and China have a trade volume of more than $ 15 billion. The Oct. 2010 visit by Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao to Turkey is expected to boost relations to a new level. China and Turkey intend to raise their trade to $50bn by 2015.

2010 Chinese Premier Wen's Visit to Turkey to Deepen China-Turkish Ties

Vice Foreign Minister Zhai Jun briefs press about Prime Minister Wen Jiabao of the People's Republic of China's upcoming visit:

Premier Wen will hold talks with Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and meet Turkish President Abdullah Gul, during his visit to Turkey from Oct. 7 to 9, 2010. The Chinese Premier will also meet with business circles and hold seminars with people from cultural circles.

"China-Turkey relations have witnessed smooth development, and the two countries cooperate fruitfully in many areas. Cooperation in such areas as investment, transportation and energy are progressing steadily. The two countries also carry out frequent exchange between governments, parliaments, local governments and non-governmental organizations," Zhai said.

According to Zhai, China and Turkey are two important developing countries, which share a broad common interest in maintaining world peace and promoting common development.

China hopes Wen's visit will help the two countries map out a blueprint for the future development of bilateral relations. The two sides are expected to sign several agreements on economic and cultural cooperation.

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Xinhua Sept. 29, 2010 - Chinese ambassador to Turkey Gong Xiaosheng said Tuesday Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao's upcoming visit to Turkey will boost the two countries' relations to a new level.

We expect Chinese-Turkish ties to have a new and better development and leap forward after Wen visits Turkey," Gong told a press briefing in the Turkish capital of Ankara. "As the two nations know more about and work more with each other, I believe there will be a great prospect for our cooperation." Wen will pay an official visit to Turkey in October, China's Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu announced in Beijing.

At the invitation of Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Wen will start his visit to Turkey from Oct. 7. He will meet Erdogan and Turkish President Abdullah Gul, said Gong.

Wen is expected to discuss bilateral relations with Turkish leaders, as well as the two countries' cooperation in major international issues, he said.

The two sides are also likely to sign 8 to 10 agreements or documents on economic and cultural cooperation, covering the fields of transportation, energy and communications, Gong told reporters.

China and Turkey have seen frequent visits of high-level officials in recent years, including Gul's visit to China in June last year.

The two countries saw their trade surge from more than one billion U.S. dollars in 2000 to 12.6 billion U.S. dollars in 2008 (but saw a drop in 2009 due to the global recession).

In 2009, China's exports to Turkey stood at 8.3 billion U.S. dollars while imports from Turkey reached only 1.7 billion U.S. dollars. China doesn't want a huge trade surplus and has made great efforts to balance the trade ties, said Gong. He noted the Chinese government has encouraged Chinese enterprises to import from and increase investment in Turkey, sent purchasing groups and boosted the number of Chinese tourists in Turkey. "Around 50,000 Chinese tourists visited Turkey in 2008, while the current figure has exceeded 100,000," said Gong. He also urged the Turkish government to carry out more promotional activities in China, increase Chinese people's understanding of Turkey, and provide more convenience and preferential policies to encourage Chinese businesses to invest in the country.

Source: Xinhua english.cri.cn