China and Turkey on Wednesday pledged to strengthen anti-terrorism cooperation, such as fighting the terrorist group the East Turkistan Islamic Movement (ETIM).
The pledge came during a meeting between Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and his Turkish counterpart Mevlut Cavusoglu, who is in Beijing for a foreign ministers' meeting on Asian security.
"Anti-terrorism and security cooperation are important components of China-Turkey political trust. Both sides should work closely to combat terrorist organizations including the ETIM, oppose extremism and address illegal immigration," Wang told Cavusoglu.
Cavusoglu said Turkey treats China's security concerns as its own and will take all necessary measures to enhance bilateral cooperation in this regard, echoing Wang's remarks about combating illegal immigration and the ETIM.
Turkey will continue to attach importance to China's security concerns and will never allow anybody in Turkey to engage in activities that threaten China's security, Cavusoglu said.
Cavusoglu came to attend the fifth foreign ministers' meeting of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA), on Wednesday and Thursday.
As China and Turkey are founding members of the CICA, China is willing to work with Turkey to implement the consensus reached during the fourth CICA summit in Shanghai in 2014, enhance trust among Asian countries, and adhere to resolving problems through dialogue and consultation, Wang said.
"China will work with Turkey in the direction of establishing a security structure that is accepted by all sides and represent the trend for regional development," Wang said.
Cavusoglu said Turkey will cooperate with China to promote security in Asia.
CICA was established in 1992 as a forum for dialogue and consultation on security issues in Asia. It has 26 member countries, including China, India, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Russia, and Thailand. It also includes other countries and international organizations as observers.
