Chinese President Xi Jinping said that China and Türkiye should strengthen the synergy between the Belt and Road Initiative and the Middle Corridor Initiative as he hailed Türkiye’s "spirit of self-reliance."
He said on Sunday that China and Türkiye are both emerging powers and important members of the Global South, both possessing a spirit of "independence and self-reliance," Beijing's Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
Xi’s remarks came during a bilateral meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in the northern port city of Tianjin ahead of a dinner set to be hosted by the Chinese leader in honor of leaders attending the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit.
"Maintaining high-level development of China-Türkiye relations serves the fundamental interests of both countries and the common interests of the Global South," Xi was quoted as saying.
The two countries, he further said, should seize the trend of "the times of peace, development, cooperation, and win-win results, achieve mutual success on the path to national prosperity, elevate the China-Türkiye strategic cooperative relationship to new heights, and jointly promote the building of a more just and equitable global governance system."
‘Political mutual trust’
Emphasising that next year marks the 55th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries, Xi said China and Türkiye should take this opportunity to elevate bilateral relations to a new level.
"They should consolidate political mutual trust, support each other on issues concerning each other's core interests and major concerns, and strengthen counter-terrorism and security cooperation,” he added.
The two sides, Xi said, should deepen practical cooperation, strengthen the synergy between the Belt and Road Initiative and the Middle Corridor Initiative, promote the development of the China-Europe Railway Express's southern route, enhance cooperation in traditional areas such as economy, trade, culture, and tourism, and create new highlights in cooperation in new energy, 5G, and biomedicine.
"They should strengthen multilateral cooperation, closely coordinating within frameworks such as the United Nations, the G20, and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization to jointly uphold international order and rules, defend international fairness and justice, and contribute to world peace and stability," he went on to say.
The SCO meeting is being held Sunday and Monday, marking the fifth annual summit hosted by China since the forum was established in 2001.
The summit convenes amid escalating geopolitical tensions, including Israel's war on Gaza, the Ukraine conflict and international tariff disputes. Xi, serving as the rotating chair, will preside over the summit.
