Chinese President Xi Jinping and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan met in Tianjin on Sunday, discussing ways to expand cooperation in energy, trade, and regional connectivity, according to the Chinese Foreign Ministry.

Xi underscored the importance of aligning China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) with Turkey’s Middle Corridor strategy, emphasizing collaboration in areas ranging from traditional trade, culture, and tourism to new sectors such as renewable energy, 5G technology, and biomedicine. He also called for greater cooperation on security, counterterrorism, and multilateral coordination within the United Nations, G20, and Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO).

Erdogan reaffirmed Turkey’s commitment to deepening ties with China, stressing his country’s readiness to enhance investment, infrastructure development, agriculture, and healthcare projects, while also advancing Belt and Road projects in coordination with Beijing.

Expanding trade, energy partnerships

Turkey-China trade has grown dramatically over the past two decades, from just $1 billion in 2000 to nearly $43 billion annually in 2024. China has become Turkey’s second-largest import partner, though the relationship remains structurally imbalanced, with Turkey running a significant trade deficit.

Energy cooperation has emerged as one of the most strategic pillars of the partnership. In 2024, Ankara and Beijing signed a memorandum of understanding on nuclear energy and renewable projects, advancing Turkey’s goal of producing 20 gigawatts of nuclear power by 2050.

Cooperation also extends to rare earth mining after Turkey’s discovery of vast reserves in Eskişehir, positioning Ankara as a potential global supplier of critical minerals.

Chinese investments in Turkey now exceed $5 billion, spanning telecommunications, renewable energy, and automotive industries. Notably, Chinese electric vehicle and smartphone manufacturers have launched production operations in Turkey, while the Emba Hunutlu coal power plant stands as Beijing’s largest energy investment in the country.

Belt and Road, Middle Corridor alignment

Turkey formally joined the Belt and Road Initiative in 2015, aligning its Middle Corridor project with China’s vision of strengthening Eurasian connectivity. The Tianjin meeting reaffirmed this cooperation, with both leaders stressing the need to advance the southern route of the China-Europe Railway Express through Turkey.

Beyond land trade, the two countries have expanded their financial ties through currency swap agreements, most recently renewed in June 2025 for a value of $4.8 billion. This mechanism allows transactions in local currencies, reducing reliance on the US dollar and supporting bilateral trade flows.

SCO Summit context

Erdogan’s visit comes ahead of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization’s (SCO) summit in Tianjin from August 31 to September 1. The SCO brings together key Eurasian powers, including Russia, India, Iran, and China, with Turkey participating as a dialogue partner.

By deepening cooperation with Beijing within the SCO framework, Erdogan highlighted Ankara’s ambition to play a greater role in shaping Eurasian economic and security dynamics.

For China, strengthening ties with Turkey complements its broader strategy of building resilient trade and energy corridors across the region.