Ambassador Forum

—— RDCY Forum for Area Studies No.17

Selçuk Ünal,

Ambassador of Türkiye to China

Türkiye-China relations: 55th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations

China and Türkiye, both major emerging economies and key members of the Global South, have maintained a steadily advancing bilateral relationship since establishing diplomatic ties in 1971. Driven by the deep synergy of the “Belt and Road Initiative” (BRI) and Türkiye’s Middle Corridor initiative, the relations have continued to deepen and solidify, yielding fruitful cooperation across trade investment, energy infrastructure, connectivity, and cultural exchanges.

The year 2026 marks the 55th anniversary of China-Türkiye diplomatic relations. During Turkish President H.E. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s visit to China for the 2025 Shanghai Cooperation Organization Summit, President Xi Jinping emphasised that “the two sides should take this opportunity to elevate the bilateral relations to a new level.”

At this crucial juncture, the Chongyang Institute for Financial Studies (RDCY) at Renmin University of China (RUC) has the honor of inviting H.E. Selçuk Ünal, Ambassador of the Republic of Türkiye to the People’s Republic of China, to the Ambassador Forum. Ambassador Ünal will deliver a keynote speech on “Türkiye-China relations: 55th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations” and engage in interactive discussions with on-site guests.

Host:

Chongyang Institute for Financial Studies, Renmin University of China

School of Global Leadership, Renmin University of China

Time: 10:00-11:30, Tuesday, May 26, 2026 (Beijing Time)

Venue: Culture Building 602 (No.59 Zhongguancun Street, Haidian District, Beijing 100872, China)

Languages: English / Chinese

Speaker: Selçuk Ünal, Ambassador of Türkiye to China

His Excellency Selçuk Ünal has served as Ambassador of the Republic of Türkiye to the People’s Republic of China since August 2025. With 34 years of distinguished diplomatic experience, he has previously served as Ambassador of Türkiye to Canada and to the Kingdom of the Netherlands (also serving as the Permanent Representative to the Organisation of Prevention of Chemical Weapons (OPCW)), and has held other important positions including Counsellor at the Turkish Permanent Mission to the UN Office in Geneva and New York, Deputy Director General of Information and Press Department and Spokesman of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Special Advisor to the Foreign Minister, and Ambassador, Director General for Syria. He is highly proficient in multilateral diplomacy and international crisis coordination.

Agenda:

1. Opening Introduction (10:00-10:05)

Moderator: Wang Wen, Dean of Chongyang Institute for Financial Studies, Renmin University of China; Dean of School of Global Leadership, Renmin University of China

2. Ambassador’s Speech (10:05-10:35)

Speaker: Selçuk Ünal, Ambassador of Türkiye to China

Topic: Türkiye-China relations: 55th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations

3. Expert Comments (10:35-11:00)

Niu Xinchun, Academic Vice President, and Dean of the China-Arab Research Institute, Ningxia University

Tian Wenlin, Professor, School of International Studies, Director, Middle East Institute, Institute of Regional and Country Studies, Renmin University of China

Q&A Session (11:00-11:30)

Moderator: Wang Wen, Dean of Chongyang Institute for Financial Studies, Renmin University of China; Dean of School of Global Leadership, Renmin University of China