Erdoğan’s visit to China ends with more agreements

During the visit, an agreement was signed between Turkey’s Yunus Emre Cultural Center and SISU. In a speech made during the Turkish delegation’s visit to the university Rector Deming Cao said China and Turkey are old civilizations with a long history, adding that both cultures have made great contributions to the development of mankind.

Cao said the two countries understood each other better today and were setting up forms of more strategic cooperation. He emphasized the importance of links between peoples and especially young people to perpetuate the strengthening of ties between the two countries. He also noted that a Turkish language department opened last year at his university, which was founded 63 years ago. He said the opening of the department coincided with the 40th year of the start of diplomatic relations between China and Turkey.

Erdoğan is the first Turkish prime minister to visit China in 27 years. He started his four-day visit with a stop in Urumchi, the capital of the Xinjang Autonomus Province, and continued on to Beijing and finally the country’s financial capital, Shanghai. He left China on Wednesday.

During the Turkish delegation’s visit to Shanghai, representatives from the Turkey Exporters Council (TİM) and the Turkish Chinese Industrialists and Businessmen’s Association (TÜÇSİAD) organized a working breakfast on Wednesday morning. Chinese companies and representatives from Turkish companies that operate in China attended the event.

TİM President Mehmet Büyükekşi said the businessmen of the two countries didn’t know each other well enough and said more mutual visits were needed to address this. The number of Chinese companies that operate in Turkey is fairly low, Büyükekşi said, noting his organization was ready to offer support to explain the advantages Turkey has to offer to Chinese businesses. Head of the Shanghai Import and Export Chamber Tang Qinfu also made a speech at the breakfast, calling on Chinese businesses to visit Turkey as soon as possible and discover the business opportunities Turkey has to offer. He also praised TÜÇSİAD for its contributions to improving trade ties between the two nations. A series of business agreements were signed during the breakfast between the participants.