Turkey and China ties to support global stability - President Erdogan

"I believe that Turkey and China have great potential for strengthening cooperation," Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Tuesday, following his meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Great Hall of the People.

Erdogan said the two countries have enjoyed a thousand years of ties across ancient civilisations connected by the Silk Road.

He expressed thanks to China's president and people for their hospitality. 

Strengthening the Turkey-China relations will contribute to regional and global stability, Turkey’s president said on Tuesday.

Praising the thousands of years' ties between the two countries, Erdogan voiced belief in potential for improving the cooperation between Ankara and Beijing.

“Strengthening the Turkey-China ties will also make a huge and particular contribution to the regional and global stability,” Erdogan said ahead of the meeting.

Erdogan also said “One-China” policy is strategically important for Turkey.

In 1949, Chinese nationalist leaders fled to Taiwan to establish what they called “nationalist China” when Mao Zedong came to power.

China, which does not accept Taiwan's independence, argues that this island is its breakaway province since then.

In 1979, the US recognised the People’s Republic of China as the “legitimate authority representing China” by adopting the “One-China” policy.

However, the US maintains relations with Taiwan unofficially. It sells weapons worth billions of dollars each year to Taiwan.

Strategic cooperation to be boosted 

Xi, for his part, also called for improving strategic cooperation between the two countries.

"Turkey and China are emerging markets and developing countries. We should boost mutual strategic trust, strengthen strategic cooperation and coordination," Xi said.

He also said that they should defend multilateralism and global justice together.

The two leaders joined meetings – bilateral and between delegations – which lasted more than an hour.

Among the attendees were Turkey's Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu, Treasury and Finance Minister Berat Albayrak, National Defense Minister Hulusi Akar, Industry and Technology Minister Mustafa Varank, Trade Minister Ruhsar Pekcan.