ISTANBUL

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping discussed the Middle Corridor and the Belt and Road initiative, as well as other regional and global issues, in a meeting on Sunday.

The meeting came as Erdogan is on a two-day visit to China to attend the 25th Heads of State Council meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) in Tianjin.

During the meeting, Erdogan said that it is important to take joint steps to harmonize the Middle Corridor and the Belt and Road Initiative, Türkiye's Communications Directorate said on Turkish social media platform NSosyal.

The meeting also discussed the latest situation in Gaza, the Russia-Ukraine war, and joint steps toward the development of Syria.

During the meeting, it was agreed that the existing consultation and cooperation mechanisms between Türkiye and China would be operated at regular intervals.

The leaders also discussed economic cooperation between the two countries, with Erdogan saying that bilateral trade should be supported by investments to ensure its balance and sustainability, according to the directorate.

Highlighting the great potential in the fields of digital technologies, energy, healthcare, and tourism, the Turkish president said increasing coordination among Chinese companies to invest in Türkiye would be beneficial in this regard.

Reiterating Ankara's commitment to the one-China policy, Erdogan also underscored the strategic dimension of the bilateral relations.