Vice Minister Qu Dongyu met with Mr. Mehmet Dani?, Deputy Minister of Food, Agriculture and Livestock of the Republic of Turkey, on the sidelines of the 15th China International Agricultural Trade Fair (CATF) in Beijing on 21 Sept. 2017. The two sides exchanged views on furthering bilateral agricultural cooperation.

Vice Minister Qu noted that it is in the fundamental interests of the two countries and two peoples to further China-Turkey strategic cooperative relations. In recent years, the closer friendship and greater bilateral agricultural cooperation have well served the broader picture of China-Turkey relations.

China, being a staunch supporter of the open market principle, is willing to import quality agricultural products from foreign countries including Turkey to allow for more choices for Chinese consumers on the basis of food safety. The Belt and Road Initiative proposed by China has brought new opportunities for furthering bilateral agricultural cooperation. China stands ready to work with Turkey to improve agricultural cooperation mechanisms and upgrade bilateral agricultural cooperation. Vice Minister Qu proposed that the two sides hold the Second China-Turkey Agriculture Working Group Meeting in 2018.

Mr. Mehmet Dani? thanked China for its hospitality. He fully agreed with Vice Minister Qu and expressed the willingness to maintain sound momentum in agricultural cooperation with China and further broaden cooperation in various areas of agriculture.