China-Turkey Relations: Erdogan travels to Beijing to deepen economic ties

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Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will travel to Beijing on Tuesday for talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping. The two leaders are planned to expand collaboration on various issues. CGTN's Michal Bardavid has more.

Chinese President Xi Jinping will welcome Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Beijing just days after the G20 summit in Osaka. Prior to leaving Japan – during a question and answer session with reporters, Erdogan noted Turkey's support of China's sovereignty.

He said: "We will never allow the disintegration and fragmentation of China. We have been exerting efforts to maintain our relationship with integrity."

The two leaders are looking to deepen ties especially economic cooperation. Bilateral trade between China and Turkey reached 23 billion dollars in 2018, but about 20 billion of that is Chinese exports to Turkey

SEDAT AYBAR INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS EXPERT "The trade between Turkey and China creates a deficit with a disadvantage for Turkey, ways to decrease this gap will be discussed. Aside from economy and trade, politics and diplomatic issues will be discussed."

Turkey is also a key partner of China's Belt and Road Initiative, and the two countries have cooperated in large scale projects such as the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway and terminal port Kumport. China's Ambassador to Ankara Deng Li said in March China wants to increase its investments in Turkey to six billion dollars by 2021.

SEDAT AYBAR INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS EXPERT "With the capabilities that both Turkey and China have developed, by collaborating, they can support the success of the Belt and Road Initiative in this wide region, that way, they can be complementary to one another."

Another area the two countries can focus on is tourism.

MICHAL BARDAVID ANTALYA "Last year, when it had been declared Turkey Tourism Year in China – the flow of Chinese tourists increased by about 60 percent, with nearly 400-thousand Chinese tourists visiting Turkey in 2018. Officials hope to double this number by 2021."

Erdogan and Xi are also expected to discuss regional security, education and ways to increase cultural exchanges. Michal Bardavid, CGTN, Antalya.