Chinese and Turkish business people signed 19 contracts in Istanbul on Friday on the purchase of Turkish commodities worth about $230 million.

Visiting China's top political advisor Jia Qinglin attended the signing ceremony after the Sino-Turkish economic and trade cooperation forum which was attended by government officials and business people from the two countries.

Jia, chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People' s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), said in his speech delivered at the forum that China and Turkey should make further plans on the future development of bilateral economic and trade cooperation.

China-Turkey trade volume exceeded $10 billion last year and the figure for this year is expected to reach $13 billion.

He called on business people from both countries to make joint efforts to further tap cooperation potentials, increase mutual investment, expand cooperation in infrastructure construction and project engineering, and enhance multi-lateral economic and trade cooperation.

The Chinese side is ready to speed up cooperation with the Turkish side in communications and tourism, said Jia.

He also urged the two sides to create more and better opportunities for bilateral business cooperation.

On the current international financial crisis, Jia said the Chinese side will cooperate with the international community including Turkey in this regard and make its due contributions to safeguarding international financial stability and promoting world economic growth.

Jia arrived here Friday from Ankara to continue his official goodwill visit as guest of Speaker of the Turkish Grand National Assembly Koksal Toptan.

Turkey is the second leg of Jia's four-nation visit which has taken him to Jordan and will also take him to Laos and Cambodia.