China ready to enhance mutual strategic trust, deepen cooperation with Türkiye, says Wang Yi

Wang Yi (L), director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, meets with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan in Ankara, Türkiye, July 26, 2023. [Mustafa Kaya/Handout via Xinhua]

ANKARA -- China is ready to work with the Turkish government to enhance mutual strategic trust and deepen cooperation in various fields, so as to inject fresh impetus into the development of bilateral relations, senior Chinese diplomat Wang Yi said here on Wednesday.

Wang, director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the remarks during a meeting with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan.

As representatives of emerging markets and major developing countries, China and Türkiye share broad common interests and huge cooperation potential, said Wang, adding that China supports Türkiye in finding a development path suited to its national conditions and safeguarding national independence, sovereignty, and legitimate rights and interests.

China also supports Türkiye in playing a more important role in the regional and international arena, and opposes any interference in Türkiye's internal affairs, Wang said.

He expressed China's willingness to work with the Turkish government to enhance mutual strategic trust, strengthen strategic coordination, deepen cooperation in various fields, support each other in safeguarding their core interests and national security and stability, push for more fruitful results in the China-Türkiye strategic relationship of cooperation, and inject a new impetus into the development of bilateral ties.

Wang called on the two sides to make good use of bilateral cooperation mechanisms, including the China-Türkiye Intergovernmental Cooperation Committee, to enhance synergy between the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and Türkiye's Middle Corridor initiative, and continue to advance cooperation in energy, education, culture and other fields.

China is willing to import more quality Turkish products, support companies of the two countries to settle trade in local currencies, and encourage more Chinese companies to invest and do business in Türkiye, he said.

Wang also affirmed China's readiness to strengthen coordination and cooperation with Türkiye under multilateral frameworks such as the United Nations, the G20 and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, jointly raise the voice of emerging markets and developing countries, uphold genuine multilateralism, safeguard the stability of global supply and industrial chains, oppose unilateralism and wrong practices such as "decoupling and the cutting of supply chains," and inject more stability into a world of turmoil and transformation.

For his part, Fidan said that Türkiye attaches great importance to developing its relations with China.

Türkiye rejects the claim that China's economic and technological developments are a threat, opposes discrediting and containing China's development, and does not allow activities in Türkiye that undermine China's territorial integrity, the Turkish top diplomat said.

Fidan said Türkiye believes that the global initiatives, proposed by Chinese President Xi Jinping, are of strategic significance.

Türkiye is willing to work with China to give full play to the role of the intergovernmental cooperation committee between the two countries, jointly build the Belt and Road, strengthen cooperation in the fields of economy, trade, energy, aviation and tourism, respond to global challenges, and promote the establishment of a multipolar world, he added.

The two sides also exchanged views on international and regional issues of common concern.