11 April 2012 /SAMİ KOHEN
According to a Chinese TV station, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s visit to China is proof that the “flirting” has ended between Turkey and China and that “both countries are now aware of their responsibilities.”
A newspaper in Beijing also says the visit, the first by a Turkish prime minister in 27 years, indicates that both countries are enjoying a “honeymoon” period in their relations. Whatever its [the relationship’s] name is, it is a fact that both Turkey and China are determined to boost their relationship. However, both countries have their own reasons for doing so. For Turkey, improving its relationship with China is a part of its strategy of “multi-dimensional foreign policy” and the intention of being more open to the East. China, on the other hand, attaches great importance to its influence both regionally and globally and it aims to boost cooperation with Turkey in the face of instability in the Middle East and the sluggish world economy.
