Türkiye and China have agreed to deepen cooperation on climate change, resilient cities, clean energy and sustainable infrastructure, according to Turkish Environment Minister Murat Kurum, following a visit to Beijing on May 12-14.
During the visit Minister Kurum had discussions with Chinese counterparts including Huang Runqiu, as well as with Chinese financial institutions including the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, the Silk Road Fund and the China Energy Investment Corporation.
The two countries had agreed to establish a joint working group focused on climate-related cooperation in the run-up to the United Nations COP31 climate summit, which Türkiye and Australia will co-host in Antalya in November 2026. COP31 priorities include resilient cities, clean energy transition, sustainable infrastructure and climate finance.
Climate finance, investment cooperation
Kurum said financing remains the most critical component of climate and sustainability projects, noting that without financial mechanisms, implementation remains limited.
As part of Türkiye’s COP31 presidency, he said meetings were held with international investment funds and financial institutions in China to explore funding mechanisms for climate-related projects.
He said the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) agreed to cooperate on sustainable cities, clean energy access and climate adaptation projects. Specific financing proposals are expected to be announced at COP31 in Antalya.
Kurum added that discussions with the Silk Road Fund included proposals to ensure that Belt and Road Initiative projects align with zero-emission targets.
Talks with China Energy Investment Corporation focused on renewable energy investments and public-private partnership models, including build-operate-transfer schemes.
Source: Daily Sabah, May 15, 2026. https://www.dailysabah.com/…/turkiye-china-agree-to…
