GLOBAL SUPPLY CHAIN ON THE AGENDA

The “Türkiye-China Business Conference,” organized by DEİK and TÜSİAD in collaboration with CCPIT, took place in Beijing

The second edition of the “Türkiye-China Business Conference,” organized by the Foreign Economic Relations Board (DEİK) and the Turkish Industry and Business Association (TÜSİAD) in collaboration with the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT), took place in Beijing on November 29, 2023. Over 250 Turkish and Chinese business representatives, notable figures such as Dr İsmail Hakkı Musa, the Republic of Türkiye’s Ambassador to Beijing, Korhan Kurdoğlu, Chairperson of DEİK/ Türkiye-China Business Council and Chairperson of TÜSİAD China Working Group, and Li Qingshuang, Vice President of CCPIT, participated in the event. The conference, held as part of the China International Supply Chains Fair, focused on the overarching theme of “Connecting Economies through Investment, Trade, and Supply Chain.”

MUSA, “CHINA STANDS AS OUR PRIMARY TRADING PARTNER IN ASIA AND RANKS AS THE THIRD-LARGEST GLOBALLY”

Addressing the conference’s opening, Dr İsmail Hakkı Musa, the Ambassador of the Republic of Türkiye to Beijing, expressed, “History, geography, strategy, global dynamics, and, ultimately, common sense all point towards a compelling invitation for Turks and Chinese to engage in closer cooperation and collaboration.” Highlighting the growth in trade between Türkiye and China, Musa stated, “China holds the position of being our foremost trading partner in Asia and the third-largest globally. The trade volume between the two nations has surged 40 times in the past two decades, reaching a historic high of nearly 45 billion USD in 2022. Over 1,200 Chinese companies are actively engaged in profitable ventures in Türkiye, while approximately 100 Turkish companies are similarly conducting profitable activities in China.”

LI QINGSHUANG: “WE WILL CONTINUE TO SUPPORT THE DEVELOPMENT OF CHINATÜRKİYE COOPERATION”

Li Qingshuang, Vice President of CCPIT, highlighted that “the bilateral trade volume between China and Türkiye reached 33.44 billion USD in the first three quarters of this year, marking a 15.6 percent year-on-year increase.” Qingshuang emphasized, “The business communities of both countries have persistently strengthened cooperation in trade, investment, infrastructure, green energy, and other sectors under the joint framework of the Belt and Road initiative. The investment between the two countries has surpassed the 3-billion USD mark.” Li emphasized the significance of the participation of almost 60 Turkish companies in the inaugural China International Supply Chains Fair in Beijing. He stated, “CCPIT aims to enhance economic and trade cooperation between Türkiye and China. In this context, we have entered into collaboration agreements with counterpart organizations such as DEİK and TÜSİAD.”

KURDOĞLU: “WITH THE KNOW-HOW COMING FROM CHINA, TÜRKİYE CAN REALIZE MANY JOINT PROJECTS ON DIGITALIZATION”

Korhan Kurdoğlu, Chairperson of DEİK/Türkiye-China Business Council and Chairperson of TÜSİAD China Working Group, underscored the pivotal significance of the conference’s main theme, “global supply chains”, in enhancing the competitiveness of enterprises and their role in fostering the economic growth of countries. “Global supply and production chains are being reshaped in an environment of multiple crises in the world,” Kurdoğlu said. We observe a trend where companies are increasingly relocating their supply networks or production bases to geographies that are closer, either within their own countries or to nations they view as strategic partners. Türkiye has consistently played a crucial role in global supply chains. We are confident that fostering cooperation and maintaining balanced economic relations with China will bring significant value to our country. As TÜSİAD and DEİK, we are maintaining close communication with our counterpart organization CCPIT and various sectoral organizations in China. Our aim is to cultivate and strengthen this partnership, balance the trade between Türkiye and China, and explore collaboration opportunities.