On July 6, 2022, Ambassador Liu Shaobin met with Ms. Fatma Şahin, Mayor of Gaziantep. The two sides exchanged views on cooperation at the local level between China and Türkiye.

Ambassador Liu noted that local exchanges constitute an important part of China-Türkiye strategic cooperative relations. Gaziantep is an important city along the ancient Silk Road. The Chinese Embassy is willing to promote cooperation between Chinese cities and Gaziantep to facilitate strategic synergy between the two countries.

Mayor Şahin said that Gaziantep is an important city in southeastern Türkiye with relatively advanced agriculture and water conservancy. Gaziantep is committed to building a smart city and promoting the development of green economy and other new business forms. The Turkish side is willing to learn from China’s experience and hopes that China will provide greater support.