Wednesday, 22 February 2012By Reyhan Güner, JTW
Xi Jinping, Chinese Vice President and seen as to be the new President of Republic of China met the President Abdullah Gul, the Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and the Parliament Speaker Cemil Cicek. During his visit, seven agreements were signed by Turkey and China to reinforce the economic relations of two countries. Signed agreements include a swap treaty in further of the exchange of Turkish Lira and Chinese Yuan.
Xi who highlighted the significant role of Turkey in the Middle East has explained that Turkey and China as the countries on two different ends of Asia and the members of G-20 should enhance their economic, political and security-based relations considerably. While stating that China is impressed by the economic development of Turkey and interested in important economic agreements, Xi invited Erdogan to China for an official visit and Erdogan answered in the affirmative and proclaimed to visit China in coming months.
According to the Statistical Institute of Turkey, China is the third-biggest trade partner of Turkey. Trade volume between two countries is expected to reach $ 50 billion in 2015 and $ 100 billion in 2020. The trade investigations ranged from machinery to textile and exports from China has a considerable share in Turkey, when compared to other trade partners.
The purpose of Xi’s visit to Turkey is to discuss over the bilateral, regional and international events, especially the recent ones getting more serious in Syria. However, while leaders explained that cooperation between People’s Bank of China and Turkey’s Central Bank will be extended, they avoid themselves report over Syrian issue in details. Turkish government briefly stated that the world cannot stay in silence in front of the violent acts in Syria and Bashar Assad’s brutal crackdown and tenacity. In addition, it is an interesting detail that China has vetoed two UN resolutions aiming at ending the conflict and Assad’s crackdown.
During Xi’s visit, about one hundred Uighurs from Eastern Turkistan Culture and Solidarity Institution have protested China’s violence on the minority groups in Xinjiang region. Members of the institution shouted slogans in out countenance of China and criticized discriminatory implementations in Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, while burning Chinese flags and the posters of Xi.
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Wednesday, 22 February 2012
Reyhan Güner (JTW)
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