2015年CRI Chinese Initiatives Contribute to Global Economic Cooperation: Turkish Experts（在线收听）

Chinese initiatives like the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank or AIIB and the "One Belt, One Road" initiative have been lauded by Turkish economists and international affairs experts.

Tarik Oguzlu, director of the international affairs center at Antalya International University, says Turkey is optimistic about the various Chinese-led initiatives.

"So we have this Asian investment infrastructure initiative, the 'One Road, One Belt' initiative, the Silk Road initiatives... [Turkey] wants to become a part of those initiatives... Everybody in Turkey is very, very aware of the fact that China is a rising power. It has already proved its global power credentials. So Turkish authorities need to be in good terms with the Chinese leaders" 

Fourteen G20 countries, including Turkey, are already participating in the China-proposed AIIB.

Ussal Sahbaz, a researcher at the Economic Policy Research Foundation of Turkey, says the "One Belt, One Road" initiative can play an important role in connecting Asia and Europe.

"There are many issues to cooperate on, but I think the highlight could be infrastructure. The reason being is China recently announced the 'One Belt, One Road' project, what we call the modern Silk Road, which connects China to Europe over Eurasia. It's very important for Turkey because it also passes through Turkey. What these two countries should do is use the G20 as a platform for infrastructure cooperation." 

Sahbaz says Turkey should make full use of the G20 summit to strengthen economic cooperation with China and promote the "One Belt, One Road" initiative.

"The problem is every country is focusing on its projects, but not on the cross-country projects. If the infrastructure does not connect countries, it's not useful. So 'One Belt, One Road' is an important project that connects China to Turkey and Europe, and the G20 could be a good platform for these two countries to promote it" 

The group has achieved a series of positive results regarding global governance in recent years through cooperation among its members.

The EU and China have now both developed their own "investment plans," the Juncker Plan in Europe and a number of domestic initiatives in China, in addition to the more international Belt and Road Initiative and the AIIB.

For CRI, this is Ryan Price.