Turkey, China discuss ways to enhance bilateral economic cooperation

BEIJING

Turkey and China on Feb. 9 discussed ways to enhance bilateral economic cooperation. 

Turkey’s Customs and Trade Minister Bülent Tüfenkci, who is on a one-day visit to the Chinese capital Beijing, met the head of China’s General Administration of Customs, Yu Guangzhou, at the National Congress Center.

Tüfenkci said the rapid economic development of Turkey and China has a “significant” impact on the bilateral economic and trade relations between the two countries.

He noted the bilateral trade volume between Ankara and Beijing increased to $27 billion in 2016 from $14 billion in 2009.

Speaking about the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars (BTK) railway project, which connects Central Asian states to Europe’s railroad network via an alternative route, Tüfenkci said: “After the completion of this project, we will be able to link China and England in the shortest and fastest way.”

He added production and consumption centers will be connected to each other with this project.

Yu said the bilateral trade increased by 12 percent in 2017 compared to 2016.

He expects Turkey to bring its light industry products to China and said Beijing would be pleased with strengthening cooperation among the institutions of the two countries.