Turkey, China resolve to develop strategic ties

Ties between Turkey and China – in the wake of strains last year due to unrest among Turkic Uighurs in western China's Xinjiang region – are back on track, with both countries looking to raise their relationship to the strategic partnership level, Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said in China yesterday. "We're determined to maintain the momentum in ties," he said. "A paradigm of Turkish-Chinese cooperation is, in a sense, coming to life." Turkey and China have agreed on an action plan for strategic cooperation on a wide range of topics, including energy, culture and transportation, Davutoglu said in Beijing following his official meetings there. As the two countries mark the 40th anniversary of their relationship next year, Turkey will declare 2011 the Year of China, he said, adding that China's president is expected to visit Ankara to mark the occasion. The two countries also agreed that 20l2 would be the Year of Turkey in China. China's prime minister last month visited Turkey, the first Chinese premier to do so in eight years, while President Abdullah Gul's 2009 trip to China was the first time a Turkish president visited in 14 years. The two countries' foreign ministries will also establish a joint working committee, set to meet for the first time early next year. Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan also plans to visit China, probably next summer.