Details

The outbreak and spread of COVID-19 necessitated two postponements of our joint event on China’s Rise with Sabancı University. The virtual event took place on 30 March 2021 with the highly esteemed professors, experts, and commentators. Panelists of the virtual event have exchanged their ideas on China in the global economy, US-China trade war, and China’s relations with the EU/Germany/Turkey.

Some important remarks of the panelists on the challenges and opportunities of relations with China for Europe and Turkey: China will be the most important and the most challenging partner for Europe. The Chinese economic growth will keep on growing. With the highly motivated, highly educated, the new generation in China Europe has to work for mobility, artificial intelligence, and so on that are already part of everyday life in China.

Turkey's economic relations with China are improving despite ups and downs in the political sphere. The geographical location of Turkey offering the most feasible roots for BRI, and Turkey aims to diversify its external economic relations and investment from China. Also, it is crucial for Turkey to become a central hub for international trade. Turkey is a potential major market for Chinese projects in transportation, technology, energy, defense industry, and automobile production, mainly due to its involvement in customs and geopolitical positions. A detailed evaluation of the trade relationship between Turkey and China shows a large and growing trade deficit that has been going on for a long time and deepened with the pandemic. For that, Turkey needs more investment and to provide services trade, especially tourism from China.

Several actors are concerned about having a balanced and reciprocal relationship with China in economic, political, and military spheres. In addition, the panelists emphasized that, Europe should show China that China can be prosperous if the rule-based order is set and the international multilateral organizations are involved in solving conflicts. Europe has many investments and imports from China. Thus, Europe should have a solid stand to find a reliable policy and moral position against China.

The next event on China’s Rise will be in 2022 in Istanbul.