Turkiye's Ambassador to China Ismail Hakki Musa said on Tuesday that his country considers its relationship with China as an old friendship that transcends centuries and is determined to advance win-win cooperation between the two countries and elevate their strategic cooperation to new heights.
Musa made the remarks at a press briefing held at the Turkish embassy in Beijing.
The ambassador said that the China-Turkiye relationship continued its significant momentum in 2024. "We witnessed further developments in our political, economic, commercial and cultural exchanges," he said.
"China is our biggest trading partner in Asia and the third-biggest trading partner in the world. Our bilateral trade volume increased 40-fold in the last 20 years and neared $50 billion in 2024," Musa said.
Noting that energy is an area where China and Turkiye have great potential in terms of economic cooperation, the ambassador said his country is willing to deepen its relations with China in nuclear, wind and other green energy cooperation.
Musa said that an important development last year was that Chinese electric vehicle maker BYD decided to establish an electric vehicle plant worth $1 billion in Turkiye.
"We believe that closer economic cooperation will also enhance, enrich, and energize the Belt and Road Initiative," he said, noting that his country is willing to work with China to align Turkiye's Middle Corridor Initiative with the BRI.
"We view the Belt and Road Initiative not just as an investment platform but as a strong reflection of Turkiye-China friendship, which will increase connectivity and economic cooperation and contribute to peace, stability and sustainable development in the region," Musa said.
The ambassador underscored that in today's world, people-to-people interaction is as vital as diplomacy when it comes to the relations between countries, saying that Turkiye plans to attract more Chinese tourists to visit "the fourth most-visited country in the world."
He also said that education plays a crucial role in people-to-people exchanges and brings together those who may be separated by geographic distance.
"Through younger generations, we can learn more about each other's culture and appreciate similarities as well as differences in our traditions and values," he said, calling on the two sides to provide more opportunities for their students to study in each other's country.
"In 2025, we will continue our efforts to further strengthen our deep-rooted friendship and collaboration on various issues with our Chinese counterparts," he said, noting that it is hoped that 2025 will be the year when the two sides witness visits at presidential level.
"Right now, the world is in a state where the regional and global developments, such as the ones in Ukraine, Palestine and Syria, have created a profound shift in the global balance of power and are facing new challenges every day," Musa said.
"During this crucial time, Turkiye and China share common ground on many issues, thus providing a unique opportunity for more cooperation in the coming period," he added.
