TURKISH President Abdullah Gul met Shenzhen's top official, Party chief Liu Yupu, on Sunday during his first visit to the city as president.
Gul said Turkish Airlines was planning to open a route to Guangdong amid increasing trade and cultural exchanges between his country and the southern Chinese province. Gul also said Turkey would open a consulate in Guangzhou, but did not offer a timetable.
Liu said he hoped the route would be launched as soon as possible to facilitate contact and exchange between individuals and companies in Turkey and Guangdong.
Liu said 10 Turkish firms have invested in Shenzhen, and trade between the city and Turkey has been growing, with trade volume rising to US$240 million in the first five months of the year.
Gul was in Shenzhen from Friday to Sunday. He visited some Turkish-invested firms and Shenzhen telecom gear giant Huawei Technologies, which has undertaken 3G contracts for the country's leading GSM mobile phone operators.
During the visit, head of Turkey's Prime Ministry Investment Agency and Huawei signed a memorandum of understanding for establishment of a research and development center in Turkey, the Anatolian Agency reported.
Gul arrived in Beijing last Wednesday at the start of a six-day state visit with a 210-member delegation, which includes Turkish entrepreneurs. After visiting Xi'an, Shenzhen and Guangzhou, Gul will also visit Urumqi, the capital city of the northwestern autonomous region of Xinjiang.
In Beijing, Gul held talks with President Hu Jintao and met Premier Wen Jiabao and Wu Bangguo, chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress.
Gul called for the revitalization of the Silk Road, the 2,000-year-old trade route that connected China and Europe. Chinese figures show Sino-Turkish trade exceeded US$12 billion in 2008, 13 times the 2001 level.
China is Turkey's largest trading partner in East Asia, but Turkey is concerned about the large trade deficit, Gul said, as he urged more investment, tourism and business trips from China. He said he would like to see a Chinese buyers' delegation visit Turkey.
Source:Shenzhen Daily |
