导读
在土耳其制定国家发展计划中，优先发展的产业均属于中高或高科技产业，进而催生研发需求。土方正探索土中在电子、智能化、机械和汽车领域深入合作的机遇
●经贸投资合作势头良好
●发展战略对接 拓宽合作领域
●携手助力亚洲经济融合
近些年，土中合作增长势头强劲，两国正以惊人的速度在更大范围、更深层次上推进以经济合作为主导的双边合作关系。同为地区强大的经济增长引擎，土中加强合作是理所应当的。在过去的20年间，无论是从国内经济增速还是从投资数据上看，土耳其均交出了亮眼的成绩单。土耳其是二十国集团的成员国之一，是全球第十三大经济体，按照购买力平价，土耳其是第五大欧洲经济体。自2002年以来，土耳其累计外商直接投资流入量达2000亿美元以上。土政府启动了数个特大基建项目（其中有与中方合作的项目），土政府希望到2023年土耳其共和国成立的一百周年之际将土耳其建设成为经济总量达1万亿美元的经济体。值得注意的是，中国和土耳其是二十国集团国家中仅有的两个在抵御新冠肺炎的同时实现了经济正增长的国家。
经贸投资合作势头良好
土中合作源远流长，历史上两国的交往可以追溯到几千年以前。2021年两国迎来建交第50周年，土方愿以此为契机，进一步强化两国合作。土耳其总统埃尔多安和中国国家主席习近平的支持彰显出两国深化各领域双边关系的政治决心。2021年3月24日至26日，中国国务委员兼外交部长王毅访问了土耳其首都安卡拉市，朝着深化两国关系的方向又前进了一大步。
土中商贸往来密切。2020年，两国双边贸易额达260亿美元。中国现为土耳其第三大贸易伙伴国，土方希望建设一个更加平衡、共赢的经济伙伴关系，减少土方对华贸易赤字，吸引更多中企到土投资兴业。
截至目前中企赴土投资势头良好。中企深谙土耳其位于三大洲交汇处的战略地缘优势，故而越来越倾向于赴土投资，囊括基础设施、建筑、通信、可再生能源等多个领域。在土中企数量超1200个，这些中企将资金投入到建厂、开设合伙企业、共建生产设施上。值得一提的是，尽管中国企业界逐渐将目光转向土耳其足以令我感到欣喜，不过中国在土投资总量仍低于理想预期水平，部分原因在于中企对土耳其优越的地缘优势所代表的潜在机遇缺乏足够认知。位于三大洲之界的土耳其不仅是一个中转站，更是辐射区域内外的重要商业、金融和文化中心。
我真诚地希望，在中国有关方面的推动下，中国企业家有更强烈的赴土投资意愿，进一步提高在土投资规模。由此一来，中企将在横跨巴尔干、中东和高加索地区的广阔市场范围内拥有更多的市场份额，发挥更大的影响力。
中企赴土投资享受免关税待遇以及企业所得税、土地分配和社保方面的优惠政策支持。土政府希望依具体投资项目的性质和投资者的个体要求灵活调整投资激励政策内容。土耳其的企业所得税率为欧洲最低水平，针对汽车、机械、能源等特定领域的投资商甚至可以免征企业所得税。
发展战略对接 拓宽合作领域
两国应对接彼此发展战略。土耳其纵贯2019年至2023年的第11个国家发展计划以及中国2021年至2025年第14个五年发展规划所设立的中长期发展目标有许多重合之处，这为两国深化合作奠定了坚实的基础。
土耳其制定国家发展计划立足于“将土耳其打造成一个具有高附加值创造能力、分配更加公平的繁荣强大的国度”的愿景，是一项着眼于土耳其长远发展的规划纲要。计划旨在稳增长，提高生产率，发挥工业带头作用，促进出口导向型经济增长；优先发展制造业，提升制造业科技创新能力、产品质量和生产率；推进制造业转型升级，提高竞争力，实现高附加值生产。
在计划实施期间，国家优先发展的产业均属于中高或高科技产业，进而催生研发需求。加快经济数字化转型同样也可以提升关键领域的生产率和竞争力。2019年，土耳其研发支出占比已达国民生产总值的1.06%，并有望在未来几年继续增长。中国也在加大力度提升研发创新对经济增长的驱动作用，土方正探索土中在电子、智能化、机械和汽车领域深入合作的机遇（2019年末，土耳其开始自主研发制造电子汽车，电池供应方是中国）。
鉴于过去二十年里，中国对全球经济增长的贡献平均每年高达三分之一，中国提出的新发展格局有望国内乃至全球经济复苏注入强大动力。中国是全球制造业强国，同时消费市场广阔，零售销量增长迅猛，未来15年中等收入人口数量有望翻番。随着中国政府不断强调消费驱动经济增长，中国经济不断朝着消费主导型方向转型，中国将为全球提供充足的经济发展机遇。土方也正加大力度在广袤的中国市场寻找良机，土方计划大幅提高对华出口额，并且很欣喜地注意到2019年农产品对华出口额同比增长了62.5%。这一积极态势一直延续到2020年。
提升交通互联互通是深化两国经贸往来的重要先决条件。土中分别作为古代丝绸之路的西、东门户，通过一系列互联互通项目促进欧亚大陆的交汇融通是土中两国共同的期盼。2020年12月，第一列土中出口货物列车的正式启程见证了这一愿景落到实处。该列车经由卡尔斯-第比利斯-巴库跨国铁路轨道，沿着跨里海东西贸易运输走廊，从伊斯坦布尔抵达西安仅需12天，2021年将会有更多货物列车往返于土中之间。进一步提高此列车的利用率将使土中两国产品更快、更便捷地运达目的地。鉴于疫情已暴露出全球供应链的脆弱性，土中两国加强交通互联变得尤为重要。
电子商务等数字经济新业态也在两国商贸往来中扮演重要作用。土方希望有更多土出口产品进入中国市场，特别是通过跨境电商渠道。因此土政府计划对接土发展战略——“中间走廊”计划以及中国发起的“一带一路”倡议，发挥两国发展战略的协同性和互补性。
有一些体制机制层面的创新值得关注。土方将在华增设成都总领事馆，以拓展与中国的外交存在。尤努斯·埃姆雷文化中心即将在北京开幕，体现两国在文教领域深化合作的努力。
疫情发生前，土中在民用航空领域的合作增长迅猛。2019年末，土耳其旗舰航空公司土耳其航空（THY）开通西安—伊斯坦布尔航线，西安成为继北京、广州、上海之后土耳其航空在华的第四个航班飞行目的地。2019年，中国访土游客达56.5万人次，创下了历史纪录。随着疫情后直飞航线恢复运行、国际航线拓展新目的地，土政府将累计接待一百万中国游客视为上半年目标。为了吸引更多的国际游客，土耳其将严格执行疫情常态化下的公共卫生保障措施，竭力提升国际航班旅行安全性。此外，土耳其伊斯坦布尔新机场（占地面积排全球之首）刚刚荣获全球首个“中国友好机场”认证，此举意在更好地满足中国游客的需求。
携手助力亚洲经济融合
最后我想强调，中国的崛起以及广义上的亚洲崛起，正使世界格局发生快速变迁，这是土耳其深谙的道理。因此，2019年，土耳其发起“亚洲新计划”（Asia Anew），以便抓住亚洲崛起这一颠覆性历史机缘所带来的各领域新机。土耳其视中国为亲密、可信赖的朋友和重要合作伙伴，两国将携手助力亚洲经济融合。当今世界，危机、挑战、不确定性因素层出不穷，建立健全全球政策有效协调机制的需求日渐强烈，挽救岌岌可危的多边主义秩序的呼声越发响亮。
我相信，土中深化国际合作、强化双边关系，将为两国迎来更多互惠互利的机会，并为世界繁荣、和平、稳定注入力量！
编辑 | 张 梅
翻译 | 齐晓彤
设计 | 大 米
The
cooperation between Turkey and China has gained noticeable momentum in
the recent years. It is deepening and expanding at a significant pace
and our economic relations are the main driving forces in our bilateral
ties. This comes as no surprise; given that Turkey and China are
“growing and glowing” economic powerhouses. Turkey has witnessed
remarkable achievements in domestic growth and investments in the past
two decades. As a G20 member, Turkey is the 13th largest economy in the
world and the 5th largest European economy in terms of PPP. She has
recorded more than $200 billion cumulative FDI inflows since 2002. With
the launch of new infrastructure megaprojects, in some of which we are
partnering with China, the Turkish Government is committed to transform
Turkey into a $1 trillion economy by the centennial anniversary of the
Republic in 2023. And despite all the negative effects of the pandemic,
Turkey is one of the two G20 countries that announced positive growth in
2020, along with China.
Against
this backdrop, I would like to briefly share my views with the esteemed
readers of China Investment Magazine on the current outlook and future
of a stronger Turkish-Chinese partnership.
First
of all, Turkish-Chinese cooperation has a solid background. While our
historical relations go back to few millennia, the year 2021 marks the
50th anniversary of the establishment of the diplomatic relations
between our two countries. We are willing to benefit from this important
milestone to further enhance our bonds. There’s political determination
to intensify our bilateral partnership in every field, as agreed upon
by the respective Presidents of Turkey and China; H.E. Mr. Erdogan and
H.E. Mr. Xi. The visit of State Councilor and Foreign Minister H.E. Mr.
Wang to Ankara on 24-26 March 2021 was a remarkable step in this
direction.
On
the commercial side, our bilateral trade volume has reached 26 billion
USD in 2020. China is now Turkey’s 3rd biggest trade partner. We are
aiming to achieve a more balanced, win-win economic relationship that
will lead to a lower trade deficit for Turkey vis-a-vis China and
encourage more Chinese investment in Turkey.
There are promising
signs in this direction, as well. Being aware of her strategic location
at the convergence of three continents, there is a growing tendency
among Chinese companies for investing in Turkey. These investments
include wide range of sectors such as infrastructure, construction,
telecommunication and renewable energy. The number of Chinese companies
in Turkey has exceeded 1,200. Some of these investments have turned into
factories, partnerships and co-production facilities. However, while I
am glad to observe that the Chinese business circles are increasingly
focusing their attention to Turkey, the Chinese investments in our
country are still below the desired level. This is partly due to the
insufficiency of information on the untapped potential and the
opportunities that Turkey and her hinterland provide. Turkey is not only
a transit point, but also a commercial, financial and cultural hub for
her neighborhood and beyond. I genuinely hope that the Chinese
entrepreneurs, with the promotion and encouragement of the Chinese
authorities, will increase their interest and presence in Turkey, which
will in turn also enable them to be economically more visible and
influential in a vast geography spanning from the Balkans to the Middle
East and the Caucasus.
It
should be noted that Chinese investments in Turkey benefit from customs
duty exemption, corporate tax reduction, land allocation and social
security premium support. Turkey also provides “tailor made” investment
incentives which can flexibly vary according to the nature of each
investment and the requirement of each investor. Turkey also has one of
the lowest corporate tax rate in Europe and investors can avoid it 100%
if they are investing in some specific areas such as automotive,
machinery and energy.
I
would also like to point out that Turkey’s 11th Development Plan for
2019-2023 and the medium and long term development goals set by China
through the 14th Five-Year Plan for 2021-2025 have many overlapping
aspects laying the solid foundation for further cooperation between our
countries.
Turkish
Plan presents a long-term perspective based on the vision of “stronger
and more prosperous Turkey that produces more value-added and shares
more fairly”. The objectives of the Plan have been determined within the
framework of an export-oriented stable growth model that focuses on
productivity and leading role of the industrial sector. It is aimed to
increase technology, innovation, product quality and productivity in the
priority manufacturing industry sectors, to transform the industrial
capacity to become more competitive and to promote high value-added
production.
During
the Plan period, all of the priority sectors are among the medium-high
and high technology sectors, thus the development of these sectors will
increase demand for R&D. Accelerating digital transformation will
also serve to boost productivity and competitiveness in priority
sectors. Indeed, the share of R&D expenditures in Turkey has reached
1.06% of her GDP in 2019 and it is expected to increase in the upcoming
years. As China has prioritized "innovation-driven" R&D share in
her economic structure as well, we are looking for depth-in cooperation
especially in electronics, smart technologies, machinery and automobile
industry (Turkey has initiated its own electric car project in late 2019
and the automobile’s batteries are supplied from China).
On
the other hand, China’s new development paradigm poses a great
significance not only at a domestic level but also across the globe as
China is contributing nearly to a third of global growth on average in
the last two decades. In addition to being a manufacture powerhouse,
China also has a huge domestic market with fastly growing retail sales
where the middle income population is expected to double in the next 15
years. With the increasing emphasis and ongoing structural
transformation towards a consumption based economy, China clearly offers
an abundance of opportunities for the rest of the world. We have
therefore intensified our activities for seizing these opportunities in
the huge Chinese market. As we target to increase our exports to the
Chinese market significantly, we were pleased to see an annual increase
of 62.5% in our agricultural exports to China in 2019. This positive
trend was maintained in 2020.
Naturally,
strengthening our transportation connections is a must for deepening
our economic ties. As the Western and Eastern gateways of the ancient
Silk Road, Turkey and China share the aspiration to reunite the Eurasian
landmass with ambitious connectivity projects. As a concrete example
of these projects, the first export cargo train service from Turkey to
China was initiated in late December 2020. The train followed the Trans
Caspian East-West Middle Corridor via Kars-Tbilisi-Baku railway and
reached from Istanbul to Xi’an in just 12 days. The number of these
freight trains are increasing in 2021. Further use of this railway
connection will enable Turkish and Chinese products to be more easily
and rapidly delivered to their respective destinations. This development
became even more crucial with the ongoing fragilities in the global
supply chains.
Various
tools of digital economy, particularly e-commerce platforms can also
play a key role in this setting. We are looking forward to see more
Turkish export products in China, especially via e-commerce platforms.
Therefore we are aiming to reap the benefits of the natural harmony
between Turkey's Middle Corridor and China-proposed Belt and Road
Initiative.
It
is also worth noting the developments in the institutional level. We
are in the process of expanding our diplomatic presence in China, with
the opening a new Consulate General in Chengdu; whereas the deepening of
our cultural and education cooperation is demonstrated by the soon
opening of Yunus Emre Turkish Cultural Center in Beijing.
In
the pre-epidemic period, our cooperation in the field of civil aviation
was developing rapidly. Turkey’s flagship carrier, the Turkish Airlines
added Xi’an to the existing destinations of Beijing, Guangzhou,
Shanghai in the Chinese mainland in late 2019. Same year, the number of
Chinese tourists visiting Turkey broke a record by reaching to 565,000.
With the resumption of more direct flights and new destinations after
the pandemic, our mid-term target is to host 1 million Chinese tourists.
It is also worth mentioning that, Turkey is doing its utmost to revive
international travel by implementing safe travel practices. Morever, the
new Istanbul Airport, one of the world's biggest, has recently received
the "Chinese Friendly Airport" certificate, a first worldwide, to
accommodate the needs of our Chinese guests.
While
I conclude, I would like to emphasize that Turkey is well aware of the
rapid global transformation marked by the rise of China, and more
broadly, of the Asian continent. That is one of the reasons why we
launched the multidimensional "Asia Anew" initiative in 2019,
recognizing the opportunities offered by this game-changer phenomenon.
We consider China a close, reliable friend and a vital partner in
furthering economic integration across Asia. As the world is faced with
serious threats, challenges and uncertainties, there is a growing need
to increase effective international policy coordination which will
support the unfortunately eroding concept of multilateralism. Thus, I
believe that Turkey and China’s deepening international cooperation,
which is a clear reflection of their strengthening bilateral bonds, will
give rise to mutually shared benefits on a win-win basis, by
contributing to prosperity, peace and stability across the globe.
Editor | Zhang Mei
Design | Demi