President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan held talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Tianjin, where he is attending the 25th Meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO).
The meeting, hosted at the Tianjin Guesthouse, marked the start of Erdoğan’s bilateral engagements on the sidelines of the summit. Both leaders agreed to ensure that existing consultation and cooperation mechanisms between Türkiye and China continue to function on a regular basis.
During the talks, economic cooperation featured prominently. Erdoğan emphasized the need to make bilateral trade more balanced and sustainable through new investments. He highlighted the significant potential in sectors such as digital technologies, energy, healthcare, and tourism, noting that stronger coordination would encourage Chinese companies to invest in Türkiye. He also underlined the importance of aligning Türkiye’s Middle Corridor initiative with China’s Belt and Road Initiative through joint steps.
Reiterating Türkiye’s support for the “One China” policy, Erdoğan stressed the strategic dimension of relations between the two countries. Regional and global issues were also discussed, including the latest developments in Gaza, the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine, and possible joint efforts for Syria’s reconstruction.
Speaking at the meeting, Erdoğan said:
“Dear friend, I thank you for your special invitation to the summit. It is both valuable and meaningful to me. I am pleased to meet with you again on the occasion of the SCO’s most inclusive summit. We are determined to continue making concrete contributions to the organization’s work. Your initiative to enhance global governance is a commendable step. I attach great importance both to our relations with China and to our personal dialogue. I believe reciprocal visits will further accelerate our relations.”
The meeting was also attended by Türkiye’s Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, Energy and Natural Resources Minister Alparslan Bayraktar, Treasury and Finance Minister Mehmet Şimşek, National Defense Minister Yaşar Güler, Industry and Technology Minister Mehmet Fatih Kacır, Trade Minister Ömer Bolat, National Intelligence Organization (MİT) Director İbrahim Kalın, and Türkiye’s Ambassador to Beijing Selçuk Ünal.
