Türkiye's bilateral ties with China will contribute to regional and global peace, as well as prosperity and stability, the Turkish foreign minister said on Thursday.
Speaking at a joint news conference with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi in Beijing, Hakan Fidan said that Türkiye and China have overlapping views in many areas of international relations and that both countries advocate for a fairer understanding to prevail in the international system.
"We are closely following the developments in Asia Pacific and their geopolitical repercussions," Fidan said.
"We believe that the challenges in Asia Pacific require effective multilateralism, constructive dialogue efforts and cooperation based on common priorities," he said.
Fidan also welcomed China's solidarity with the Palestinians and its strong support for a two-state solution.
He praised a call by Chinese President Xi Jinping for a comprehensive and effective international peace conference for a solution in Palestine as "extremely important."
Israel has continued its brutal offensive on Gaza following the Oct. 7 Hamas incursion, despite a UN Security Council resolution demanding an immediate cease-fire.
More than 36,400 Palestinians have since been killed in Gaza, the vast majority being women and children, and over 82,600 others injured, according to local health authorities.
Fidan also stressed the importance of Kashgar and Urumqi cities in China, emphasizing their role in the Sino-Turkish and Sino-Islamic world.
He said that Kashgar and Urumqi are two ancient Turkic Islamic cities that contribute to China's cultural richness.
"These cities also play a bridge role between China and the Turkish world as well as between China and the Islamic world. They are symbols of our historical friendship and neighborhood," he added.
Fidan on Tuesday held high-level talks with Chinese officials on the second day of his official visit.
He arrived in Beijing for a three-day official visit and previously was received by Han Zheng, China's vice president and a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee.
Following engagements in Beijing, the Turkish foreign minister is expected to visit Urumqi and Kashgar later on Tuesday, where he will stay until Wednesday.
Diplomatic relations between Türkiye and China were established in 1971, and bilateral relations were elevated to the level of "strategic cooperation" in 2010.
Reiterating the call for a cease-fire in Gaza, China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Tuesday called for "strengthening cooperation" with Türkiye for a lasting solution to Palestine.
"The way out of the Palestine problem is a two-state solution. China and Türkiye support Palestine's membership in the UN," Wang told a joint news conference with his Turkish counterpart Hakan Fidan in Beijing.
Earlier Tuesday, Wang and Fidan held bilateral talks in the Chinese capital.
The Chinese foreign minister said Beijing and Ankara "should accelerate efforts to reach a just, lasting solution to the Palestinian issue as soon as possible by strengthening coordination."
"China, Türkiye should strengthen cooperation, oppose all forms of hegemony and power politics, raise global governance to a fair level," said Wang.
Fidan is on a three-day official visit to China where he held high-level talks with Chinese officials since Monday.
He was received by Han Zheng, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and vice president.
Han told Fidan: "China is willing to work with Türkiye to fully implement the important consensus reached by the heads of state of the two countries."
The Chinese vice president also expressed Beijing's willingness to "enhance political mutual trust, strengthen the synergy of development strategies, promote the high-quality B&R (Belt and Road) cooperation, and provide staunch support to each other in safeguarding their respective core interests to propel the strategic cooperation between the two sides to a new height."
Following engagements in Beijing, the Turkish foreign minister is expected to visit the Chinese cities of Urumqi and Kashgar later on Tuesday, where he will stay until Wednesday.
Diplomatic relations between Türkiye and China were established in 1971, and bilateral relations were elevated to the level of "strategic cooperation" in 2010.
