Türkiye, China to hold green development forum in Istanbul as economic ties grow

ANKARA

(AA File Photo)

Türkiye and China will hold a green development business forum in Istanbul on Nov. 9 during a visit by Chinese Vice President Han Zheng, as the two countries mark 55 years of diplomatic relations.

Han will be accompanied by a delegation of prominent Chinese business leaders from the tourism, infrastructure, energy, technology and finance sectors.

The Türkiye-China Green Development Business Forum will be organized by the Türkiye-China Business Council of the Foreign Economic Relations Board and the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade.

Vice President Cevdet Yılmaz and Trade Minister Ömer Bolat are expected to attend the event, which aims to expand investment opportunities and strengthen cooperation on green transformation.

Public and private sector representatives will participate in panels covering environmental technologies, recycling, smart manufacturing, electric vehicles, petrochemicals, logistics, finance and tourism.

Economic ties between Türkiye and China have expanded in recent years, with bilateral trade rising from $35.9 billion in 2021 to $44.6 billion in 2022 and $48.4 billion in 2023.

Turkish exports to China reached $3.6 billion in 2021, before declining to $3.28 billion in 2022 and recovering slightly to $3.3 billion in 2023 and $3.38 billion in 2024.

The figure slipped to $3.27 billion in 2025.

However, exports reached $3.394 billion in the first nine months of 2026, exceeding the full-year totals recorded in each of the previous four years.

Total bilateral trade stood at $44.7 billion during the January-September period.

Ankara is seeking to narrow its persistent trade deficit with Beijing by expanding exports and strengthening economic cooperation.

Türkiye’s main exports to China include metal ores, slag and ash, while imports from China are dominated by electrical machinery, sound recording equipment, televisions and related technology products.