Türkiye, China to hold green development forum in Istanbul

Green business forum in Istanbul

Türkiye and China will convene a green development business forum in Istanbul on Nov. 9 during a visit by Chinese Vice President Han Zheng, marking 55 years of diplomatic relations between the two nations as they seek to deepen cooperation on sustainable technologies. The event — organized by the Türkiye-China Business Council of the Foreign Economic Relations Board and the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade — will bring together public and private sector representatives to discuss environmental technologies, recycling, smart manufacturing, electric vehicles and finance.

Turkish Vice President Cevdet Yilmaz and Trade Minister Omer Bolat are expected to attend alongside Han's delegation of business leaders from tourism, infrastructure, energy and technology sectors. The forum coincides with the 31st UN Climate Change Conference (COP31), scheduled for Nov. 9-20 in the southern Turkish province of Antalya.

Trade volumes expand

Economic ties between Ankara and Beijing have expanded steadily, with bilateral trade surpassing $52 billion in recent years after rising from $35.9 billion in 2021 to $48.4 billion in 2023. The trade volume reached $44.7 billion during the first nine months of 2026, according to data from the period, while Turkish exports to China climbed to $3.394 billion in the same timeframe — exceeding full-year totals from each of the previous four years.

Ankara is seeking to narrow its persistent trade deficit with Beijing by expanding exports and strengthening economic cooperation, with metal ores representing the primary Turkish export category while electrical machinery dominates imports.

Tourism rebound

Tourism connections have strengthened following Ankara's introduction of visa-free travel for Chinese citizens in January, with visitor numbers hitting a record 435,309 in the first nine months of 2026. The figure surpasses the 425,348 arrivals recorded throughout 2025 and marks a sharp recovery from the pandemic-era low of 33,641 seen in 2021.