Interview: Türkiye, China should expand cooperation in tech and energy, says official

This photo taken on Dec. 9, 2023 shows a view of wind turbines in Konya, Türkiye. (Mustafa Kaya/Handout via Xinhua)

BEIJING, Dec. 25 (Xinhua) -- Türkiye and China should further enhance cooperation and investment in technology, energy and tourism, given the vast market potential, said a Turkish official.

Chinese companies have increased investment in Türkiye in areas including services, infrastructure and logistics, Ahmet Burak Daglioglu, president of the Investment Office of the Turkish Presidency, told Xinhua during his visit to Beijing.

During the visit, Daglioglu met with Chinese companies and investors in technology and e-mobility in cities including Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou.

"We're quite excited about this trip, hoping to meet with Chinese investors and entrepreneurs who are looking for investment opportunities in Europe and invite them to invest in Türkiye," Daglioglu said.

China has become Türkiye's third-largest trading partner, with the total value of goods traded between them reaching 38.55 billion U.S. dollars in 2022 and China's direct investment in Türkiye exceeding 2.4 billion dollars by the end of 2022, according to Chinese statistics.

Daglioglu said the two sides should expand technology cooperation, which could be the competitive edge of Chinese investments in Türkiye, covering consumer electronics, semiconductors, battery supplies and e-mobility.

"Electric vehicles are the most competitive industry in Türkiye, and we believe that Türkiye is the best country to invest in our region for electric vehicles, where there is high purchasing power of the population," he said.

Daglioglu also believed that investments in the energy industry should be increased. "The Chinese companies are quite competitive in energy projects, so we also wish them to invest in energy projects in Türkiye," he said.

He noted that the two countries also have huge potential for cooperation in digitalization, with Türkiye's relatively mature digital ecosystem.

"We believe that both sides can develop the relations in some different fields like investments, technology, energy and tourism," he added, "and then we can have a more sustainable economic relation in the future."