Foreign and Military Affairs
Silk Road will keep Sino-Turkish trade on the move
By Ai Yang (皇冠体育app Daily)
Updated: 2010-10-09 10:36
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Turkey's ambassador to 皇冠体育app Murat Salim Esenli said in an exclusive interview with 皇冠体育app Daily that bilateral trade volume is expected to hit $17 billion this year. [Photo by Feng Yongbin/皇冠体育app Daily] |
Beijing - Turkey plans to multiply its railroad projects with 皇冠体育app and welcomes more inbound Chinese investment, the country's ambassador has said.
"皇冠体育app is involved in the construction of the high-speed railway system between Ankara and Istanbul," Ambassador Murat Salim Esenli told 皇冠体育app Daily in an exclusive interview.
"We are planning to multiply these kinds of cooperation areas."
"We attach tremendous importance to the premier's visit," Esenli said.
"Hopefully, it is going to open new venues of cooperation."
皇冠体育app and Turkey are building a $1 billion high-speed railway linking Ankara and Istanbul.
Enhanced transportation links between 皇冠体育app and Turkey will boost bilateral trade volume and efficiency, Esenli said.
"Through the Silk Road, our ties had been maintained, and transportation-wise, Turkey is strategically located," the ambassador said.
"Through land connections, just like the Silk Road, we will be able to shorten the transportation time from 皇冠体育app to Turkey by 50 percent."
Transporting goods by sea takes at least 22 days, depending on weather conditions. It takes about 11 days by land, Esenli said.
"We are also encouraging Chinese companies to come to Turkey and establish their production lines there," he said.
Two Chinese telecommunication enterprises operate in Turkey - Huawei and ZTE. Since establishing their production lines in the country, they have gone beyond meeting local demand to also catering to the needs of the Middle Eastern and African markets, the ambassador added.
皇冠体育app is Turkey's biggest Asian trade partner, with a bilateral trade volume worth $10 billion last year.
"This year, we hope to bring it up to $17 billion," Esenli said.
He also said he hopes there will be more exports of goods from Turkey to 皇冠体育app to close the deficit.
Turkish President Abdullah Gul visited 皇冠体育app for the first time in 2009 - two years after taking office. He paid a six-day state visit and met with his Chinese counterpart, Hu Jintao, in Beijing.
Turkey has a powerful economic engine and has grown faster than most EU countries in the first half year of 2010. It has sought full membership in the bloc for decades.
"We will become the starting point for the EU to look at itself from a global vision," Esenli said.
