Vice-president pledges greater cooperation in landmark visit to Turkey

BEIJING - China and Turkey, two of the world's fastest growing major economies, will increase trade and cooperation, Vice-President Xi Jinping said as he began an official trip to Ankara.

"In today's complex and changing international situation, the enrichment of strategic cooperation between China and Turkey is to the benefit of both countries, now and in the long term," Xi told Turkey's Sabah newspaper in an interview on Monday.

Turkey "has, for a long time, tried to bring stability and development to the region and played an active role in trying to solve 'hot' global and regional issues".

Ankara's "proactive and flexible" foreign policy is allowing it to play an increasingly vital role in global and regional affairs, Xi said.

Turkey, a key NATO member and an active mediator in the Middle East, is the Chinese leader's third and final stop on a trip that also took him to the United States and Ireland.

The two countries will broaden cooperation in combating terrorism, a sphere where Beijing and Ankara's "commonalties overwhelm dissimilarities", said Dong Manyuan, an expert at the China Institute of International Studies.

China and Turkey "share extensive common interests in safeguarding world peace, promoting common development and meeting global challenges," Xi said upon his arrival in Ankara on Monday.

Beijing will "continue to give incentives" for its companies to invest in Turkey, he said in the interview, adding that China hopes that Chinese companies will have a good investment environment and working conditions in the country.

Vice-President Xi Jinping is greeted by Abdullah Gul, the president of Turkey, in Ankara on Tuesday, prior to their meeting. Liu Jiansheng / Xinhua