Senior CPC official arrives in Istanbul for Turkey visit

ISTANBUL, April 14 (Xinhua) -- Li Changchun, a senior official of the Communist Party of China (CPC), arrived in Istanbul Wednesday, starting his official goodwill visit to Turkey.

Li, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, conveyed his sincere greeting and good wishes to the Turkish people in a written statement delivered at the airport.

Turkey is an important country across Asia and Europe, Li said. "China is delighted to see that Turkey enjoys stable political situation, scores economic growth and actively participates in global and regional issues, thus playing an important role in maintaining regional peace and stability and promoting common development and prosperity," he said.

The communication between China and Turkey can be dated back to the thriving period of the Silk Road, a trade route linking the East with the West centuries ago.

After the two countries forged diplomatic ties in 1971, bilateral cooperation witnessed rapid growth in all areas, Li said.

Turkish President Abdullah Gul paid a successful visit to China in 2009 and reached important consensus with Chinese President Hu Jintao for uplifting bilateral cooperation, which injected new impetus into the bilateral relations, he added.

According to Li, China and Turkey will celebrate the 40th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations in 2011. "China is willing to work with Turkey for inheriting traditional friendship, deepening mutually beneficial cooperation and further developing the partnership in the future," he said.

Turkey is the second leg of Li's six-nation tour, which has already taken him to Germany. He will also visit Saudi Arabia, Romania, Ireland and Montenegro.