Xi meets Turkish president

TIANJIN - Chinese President Xi Jinping on Sunday met with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who is in China's port city of Tianjin to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Summit 2025.

China and Turkiye are both emerging major countries with a spirit of independence, Xi said, adding that the high-level development of bilateral relations serves the fundamental interests of both countries as well as the common interests of the Global South.

Xi called on both countries to grasp the global trend of peace, development, and win-win cooperation, and work together to build a global governance system that is more just and equitable.

Noting that next year marks the 55th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Turkiye, Xi said the two sides should take the opportunity to enhance bilateral ties. They should cement political mutual trust, support each other on issues involving their respective core interests and major concerns, and strengthen cooperation in the area of counter-terrorism and security.

The two countries should deepen practical cooperation and seek new cooperation opportunities in new energy, 5G technology and biomedicine, Xi said. He also called on both sides to strengthen coordination within multilateral frameworks to safeguard international fairness and justice.

Erdogan said Turkiye is ready to maintain close high-level exchanges with China, advance high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, and strengthen cooperation in areas such as infrastructure and new energy to drive the robust growth of bilateral relations.

The Turkish side is willing to enhance cooperation with China within the framework of the SCO to contribute to the development and prosperity of the region and the world, Erdogan said, speaking highly of China's just stance on the Middle East issue.

Senior Chinese officials including Cai Qi, Wang Yi, and Chen Min'er attended the meeting.