Chinese President Xi Jinping on Monday congratulated Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on his re-election, after he won a historic runoff vote to extend his two-decade rule.
In a message carried by state news agency Xinhua, Xi underscored the “extensive common interests” between China and Turkey.
Xi said he “stands ready to work with Erdogan to promote mutual understanding and mutual support” to boost “the two countries’ strategic cooperative relationship”, Xinhua reported.
Earlier on Monday, China’s foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said that Beijing “attaches great importance to its relations with Turkey”.
“We support Turkey in taking a development path that suits its national conditions, and hope that Turkey will continue to make new achievements in its development under the leadership of President Erdogan,” she said.
“In recent years, under the guidance of the two heads of state, the two countries have achieved fruitful cooperation in various fields, benefiting our two peoples,” Mao added.
“China is willing to work together with Turkey to push our strategic cooperative relations to new heights,” Mao said.
