Turkey and China want to treble bilateral trade to $50bn within five years, their prime ministers said on Friday, after meetings aimed at strengthening political and business ties between two of the fastest growing economies in the Group of 20 leading economies.
Wen Jiabao, the Chinese premier, hailed a new “strategic partnership” and said he recognised Turkey’s “power and influence in the international community and its region”, sealing agreements to co-operate in energy, transport and infrastructure.
Like China, Turkey is now seeking an more active part on the global stage, and extending its economic reach into sub-Saharan Africa, the Middle East, Balkans and former Soviet Union. It looks set to rival China as the fastest expanding big economy in 2010, with the International Monetary Fund now forecasting growth of 7.8 per cent.