BEIJING, Jun 3 (APP): China has been in close communication with the Muslim countries in the Middle East recently amid the worsening situation in Gaza, as Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan started his visit to China on Monday, just a few days after the 10th ministerial conference of the China-Arab States Cooperation Forum.
Chinese analysts said that apart from boosting bilateral cooperation, China would strengthen cooperation and coordination with Turkey and other major powers in the region to jointly promote a sustainable cease-fire in the continuing Palestinian-Israeli conflict.
Chen Wenqing, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and head of the Commission for Political and Legal Affairs of the CPC Central Committee, met with Fidan in Beijing on Monday.
Guided by the important consensus of the leaders of the two countries, China was willing to work with Turkey to bring cooperation in the field of security to new heights continuously, enrich and expand the connotations of bilateral ties further, protect the security interests of both countries in an improved manner, serve the strategic alignment of the two countries’ development, and contribute actively to the peace and development of both countries, the region and the world, Chen added.
Fidan expressed willingness to continue promoting bilateral cooperation in the field of security.
Fidan will stay in China from Monday to Wednesday, according to the Chinese Foreign Ministry.
With regard to bilateral relations, the visit would boost the China-Turkey cooperation under the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative, as Turkey was a key partner of China with an important location bridging Asia and Europe, and also a major power in the region, said Li Xinggang, a research fellow at the Institute for Studies on the Mediterranean Rim at Zhejiang International Studies University, Global Times reported.
“The two sides could discuss how to further activate the potential of the China-Europe Railway Express to bring more economic and trade benefits,” Li noted.
Liu Zhongmin, a professor with the Middle East Studies Institute of Shanghai International Studies University, told the Global Times on Monday that China-Turkey relations had been stabilized in recent years, as China offered significant support and aid to Turkey after the deadly earthquake in 2023, and both sides were willing to further promote relations to boost economic growth.
After Saudi Arabia and Iran successfully reestablished diplomatic ties with the support and mediation of China in 2023, a wave of reconciliation had occurred in the Middle East, and Turkey has also fixed its ties with other major powers, while the ongoing crisis in Gaza also further strengthened unity among Muslim countries, said analysts.