(Turkishdailynews, Sept 17, 2006) --  Turkish businessmen will visit China, which has one of the biggest economies in the world, Sept. 18-23, headed by State Minister K¨¹rşad T¨¹zmen, reported the Anatolia news agency.

Businessmen, ministers, vice cabinet officers, nongovernmental organization representatives and bureaucrats will be in the group of 125 people. The group will be visiting China upon the invitation of China's Trade Minister Bo Xilai. They will hold meetings in Shanghai and Beijing with top-level managers and businessmen. İş Bank Chairman of the Executive Board Ahmet Kirman will also participate in the trip and he will open a İş Bank branch office in Shanghai.

Turkish Exporters' Assembly (TIM) head Oguz Satici said that China is the biggest producer and exporter in the world. ¡°China is a large market and we will be taking the first steps of entering this market,¡± he noted. 

China will continue to be a focus for Turkey and rest of the world as a giant market and a nightmare, Satici said. Many of the world's manufacturers are experiencing difficulty competing with Chinese producers, he highlighted. This is a result of unfair competition, which will be a topic of discussion during the visit, he added.

¡°We encounter numerous difficulties when entering the Chinese market. We cannot enter the Chinese market as easily as the Chinese enter our market. We expect some facilitation from Chinese officials on this matter. Customs taxes in China are high. The government does not even allow Turkish companies to organize fairs in China,¡± Oguz Satici said. 

Turkey would be able to export a minimum of $7 billion in goods to China if Turkey's foreign trade volume was more stable, he concluded.

Collaboration in petroleum and tourism:

Turkish-China Business Council Deputy Chairman Meng¨¹ Altinordu said Turkey has to adopt an export strategy to China. Major international companies of the world are making investments in China, he noted. The trip will increase cooperation occasions in several fields, Altinordu said.  

¡°There are many fields where cooperation is possible in areas other than commerce. For example, the Turkish Petroleum Corporation (TPAO) will be cooperating in oil explorations with China. China is conducting petroleum and gas explorations in Iran. There will also be activities in the tourism sector,¡± he said.

Currently, Turkish Airlines (THY) is the only airline company that flies to China from Turkey. Turkey has to increase the publicity it gives China and transportation to China with charter flights and package tours to attract more Chinese tourists, Meng¨¹ Altinordu concluded.

¡®We can transform threats to occasions':

Istanbul Ready-to-wear Clothing Exporters Union (ITKIB) head S¨¹leyman Orakçioglu said that Turkey exported $42 million in ready-to-wear clothing to China in 2005, while importing $690 million worth of goods in the same sector.

¡°Last year, we exported textile and ready-to-wear products worth $18.9 billion to various countries. Out of this total, we only exported $42 million to China despite the fact that we are one of the three biggest textile exporting countries in the world.¡±

Orakçioglu was hopeful that State Minister T¨¹zmen would find solutions to these problems. ¡°We have to collaborate with China instead of fearing this country. The two sides have to reach a win-win situation, he added.

Source:Turkishdailynews
tag:China economy