Turkish president to visit China on Thursday

Turkish President Abdullah Gul will pay a state visit toChina from May 16 to 21 at the invitation of his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping.According to a press release by Media Center of the presidency of the Republic of Turkey, Gul will meet with Chinese officials on Friday to discuss bilateral relationsbetween the two countries. The statement added that Gul’s second visit to China during the last five years, aimsto strengthen bilateral relations, as well as exchange views on regional andinternational issues of common interest.The Turkish President will also attend the 4th Conference on Interaction andConfidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA) Summit in Shanghai.He will participate in Turkish Chinese Business Forum in Shanghai.