With Davutoglu's visit, Turkey moves to strengthen ties with China

With China rising on the international stage, Turkey has stepped up efforts to increase dialogue, sending Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu for a weeklong trip there just weeks after receiving the Chinese premier. Davutoglu's trip starts today in Kashgar, an oasis city in the western Xinjiang region, followed tomorrow by Urumqi, the region's capital. After visiting Shanghai and the Turkish pavilion at the Expo fair on Saturday, on Monday Davutoglu will travel to the capital Beijing to take part in official meetings and give a speech on Turkish-Chinese relations at the Beijing International Studies Institute.