CHINA: Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao holds talks and a signing ceremony with Turkish counterpart Tayyip Erdogan in Beijing after an official welcome

Record ID: 217564

  • Title: CHINA: Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao holds talks and a signing ceremony with Turkish counterpart Tayyip Erdogan in Beijing after an official welcome
  • Date: 10th April 2012
  • Summary: BEIJING, CHINA (APRIL 9, 2012) (REUTERS) EXTERIOR OF TIAN'ANMEN SQUARE CLOSE OF PORTRAIT OF CHAIRMAN MAO EXTERIOR OF THE GREAT HALL OF THE PEOPLE CHINESE PREMIER WEN JIABAO AND TURKISH PRIME MINISTER TAYYIP ERDOGAN STEPPING ONTO THE PODIUM WEN AND ERDOGAN VARIOUS OF HONOUR GUARD STANDING TO ATTENTION WEN AND ERDOGAN STANDING ON PODIUM WEN AND ERDOGAN STEPPING OFF P
  • Embargoed: 25th April 2012 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: China, China
  • Country: China
  • Topics: International Relations,Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVACZVHNPX4IJ8LAXVVAIC2TTDJP
  • Story Text: Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao welcomed Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan in an official ceremony in Beijing on Monday (April 9).
    Erdogan, the first Turkish premier to visit China in 27 years, paid a visit to a factory producing wind energy turbines in Urumqi, in China's Muslim majority Xinjiang region on Sunday (April 8), state media reported.
    The welcome ceremony took place at the Great Hall of the People in the Chinese capital, after which the Turkish minister also held talks and attended a signing ceremony with Wen.
    During his four-day visit, Erdogan is expected to finalise plans with China of building a nuclear power plant in Turkey, the state-run Anatolia news agency said, quoting Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, Taner Yildiz.
    The plant, which would be Turkey's second, is slated to be built in the northern province of Sinop, Turkish media said.
    China and Turkey signed deals to cooperate in the fields of nuclear energy, cultural projects banking and investment, and state media.
    Trade between the two countries had skyrocketed from 1 billion US dollars in 2000 to 19.5 billion US dollars in 2010, state media reported. The countries plan to increase that figure to 50 billion US dollars by 2015 and 100 billion US dollars by 2020.
    Earlier that afternoon, China's foreign ministry said that despite differing opinions on the Syrian issue, the visit will strengthen the bilateral relations.
    "I believe this visit will further promote the relationship between China and Turkey. The two sides will thoroughly exchange views on developing bilateral relations, and also will reach a series of pacts on the cooperation in many aspects, particularly the economic and trade fields."
    Last year Turkey was the second fastest growing major economy after China, and the 16th biggest in the world.
    Long rebuffed by the European Union, NATO and G20 member Turkey has exploited its economic might to project itself in the Middle East as a stable Muslim democracy, making Ankara a ally at a time of political turmoil and unrest in the region.
    Turkey has sought to mediate between Western nations and Iran in a dispute over Iran's nuclear programme, and has taken a leading role in pressuring Syria's President Bashar al-Assad to step down, both issues that closely concern U.N. Security Council permanent member China.
    But as the two met, Turkey's relations with Syria were souring after fighting spilled over the border into Turkish territory on Monday injuring two Syrians refugees and two Turkish translators.
    And China on Monday urged the Syrian government and opposition groups to abide by pledges for a ceasefire in the year-old conflict due to start with a military pull out on Tuesday (April 10). Beijing's appeal was issued after Syrian President Bashar al Assad's demand for written guarantees from his opponents threw doubt on the prospects for the ceasefire brokered by international envoy Kofi Annan taking hold.
    Erdogan will also meet with Chinese President Hu Jintao, Vice President Xi Jinping, and Wu Bangguo, chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC), state media said.
    After Beijing, the Erdogan will visit Shanghai to deliver a speech at the International Studies University.
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