Turkey-China Business Forum to revive Silk Road


President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has stated on Thursday that Turkey and China should start using a "national currency" for commercial activities between the two countries. President Erdoğan and the Chinese President Xi Jinping have started the Turkey-China Business Forum with large turnout of Turkish investors.The Turkish president stated that they want to establish a Turkish-Chinese university for future investments, while he stated that the two countries do their best to revive the historical Silk Road. He added that Turkish firms are anticipating energy investments in China and underlined that both countries are ready to support investors. Turkey suggests a special free-trade zone that will enable Chinese firms to carry out all kinds of trade and production in Turkey, said Economy Minister Nihat Zeybekci during the bilateral talks he held with Chinese Minister of Commerce Gao Hucheng in Beijing on Wednesday.Turkey wants to initiate a process to remove all the obstacles to trade between Turkey and China, stated Zeybekci, adding that both countries want to improve their bilateral relations based on a win-win principle.Following a two-hour meeting, the two presided over the signing of agreements on trade, investment and boosting dialogue at the vice prime-ministerial level.The Turkish president began the official visit to China on July 29. The three-day trip is Erdoğan's first to the country as president, and follows a previous visit in 2012 as prime minister.