During a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit in Tianjin, Chinese President Xi Jinping and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan emphasized the need to strengthen their strategic partnership. Xi praised Türkiye’s “spirit of self-reliance” and called for greater synergy between China’s Belt and Road Initiative and Türkiye’s Middle Corridor to foster a more just global order.
A Meeting of Emerging Powers
Chinese President Xi Jinping and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan held a significant bilateral meeting in Tianjin on Sunday, ahead of the SCO summit. Both leaders highlighted their countries’ status as “emerging powers” and important members of the “Global South.” Xi specifically praised Türkiye for its “independence and self-reliance,” a nod to its increasingly independent foreign policy. This high-level engagement underscores the growing importance of the relationship between China and Türkiye, particularly as both nations seek to shape a new global governance system that they view as more “just and equitable.”
The meeting comes at a time of escalating global tensions, with conflicts in Gaza and Ukraine and international tariff disputes. The two leaders’ call for “peace, development, cooperation, and win-win results” provides a counter-narrative to the prevailing geopolitical climate, positioning their partnership as a model for cooperation.
Connecting the Corridors: Economic Synergy
A central theme of the talks was the need to deepen economic cooperation by aligning two major infrastructure projects: China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and Türkiye’s Middle Corridor Initiative. This synergy aims to enhance the development of the “China-Europe Railway Express’s southern route,” a critical trade link that passes through Central Asia and Türkiye. This strategic alignment could significantly boost trade and connectivity between Asia and Europe, solidifying Türkiye’s role as a key transit hub.
The leaders also discussed broadening their cooperation into new, high-tech areas such as new energy, 5G, and biomedicine, while also reinforcing traditional sectors like trade, tourism, and culture. With the 55th anniversary of diplomatic relations approaching next year, both leaders agreed to use the occasion to elevate their strategic cooperative relationship to new heights, demonstrating a commitment to long-term partnership.
Security and Multilateralism
Beyond economic ties, the leaders also addressed security concerns, with Xi calling for stronger cooperation on counter-terrorism. This is a key issue for both countries, which face their own security challenges. The discussion of this topic suggests a deepening of political mutual trust.
Both Xi and Erdogan also stressed the importance of strengthening multilateral cooperation within frameworks like the United Nations, the G20, and the SCO. By coordinating their efforts on these global platforms, they aim to “uphold international order and rules” and “defend international fairness and justice,” a clear signal of their desire to create a more multipolar world. The SCO summit serves as a vital platform for this kind of collaboration, allowing countries like Türkiye, a Dialogue Partner, to engage in key discussions that shape regional and global policies.
