Trade Minister Ruhsar Pekcan will attend the China International Import Expo, which starts in Shanghai today.

According to the Trade Ministry, Pekcan will participate in the fair's inaugural program, which will be held by Chinese President Xi Jinping and visit the booths of Turkish firms.

Nearly 40 leading Turkish global brands operating in food, electronics, cosmetics, jewelry, automotive supply industry, generators, chemical products, financial software and tourism will exhibit a wide range of products and services.

At the national pavilion section, a Turkish booth will conduct promotional activities about Turkey, Turkish industry and export products for the Chinese market.

Supported by the Ministry of Trade, Turkish companies will meet Chinese importers and investors to increase exports to China and contribute positively to the perception of Turkey-made products in China.

Some 2,800 companies from 130 countries are expected to participate in the fair, held until Nov. 10, as part of the import and consumption-oriented development strategies of the People's Republic of China and the "One Belt, One Road" (OBOR) project.

Trade Minister Pekcan will also join the Hongqiao International Trade Forum, where Xi Jinping will deliver the opening speech.

On the second day of her visit, Pekcan will participate in the Global Purchasing and Supply Summit held by Sunning, the second largest private company in China and meet Chinese senior executives as part. The minister will also meet with Turkish companies doing business in China.

Meanwhile, the trade volume between the two countries reached $26.3 billion in 2017 from $1.1 billion in 2001. Thus, China became Turkey's second-largest trade partner after Germany.

In the first nine months of the year, Turkey's year-on-year exports to China stood at $2.2 billion, a 4.3 percent rise, while imports amounted to $16.6 billion.

The Trade Ministry indicates that China is the target country for 2018-2019 to concentrate activities of Turkish companies and increase exports.

The objective is to increase exports to the food, textile, ready-to-wear clothing, furniture and automotive supply industry sectors, which have potential in the Chinese market for more balanced and sustainable bilateral trade with China.