Nanjing, which has 54 universities and 62 research centers, visited the Aegean Exporters’ Associations before signing the Sister City Protocol with the İzmir Metropolitan Municipality.
Speaking during the visit, Jak Eskinazi, Coordinator Chairman of the Aegean Exporters’ Associations, emphasized that Nanjing is a highly valuable city that has shown rapid development in science, technology, and industry, hosts some of China’s most prestigious universities, and has been an important center throughout history.
Providing information about İzmir and the Aegean Exporters’ Associations to the Nanjing delegation, Eskinazi said:
“İzmir is the center of Western Anatolia and the Aegean Region and is Türkiye’s third-largest city. With a population of approximately 4.5 million, it holds an important place in the national economy. İzmir, which has been one of the centers of production and trade throughout history, has a diversified economic structure thanks to the advantages of being a port city. With its qualified workforce, strong agricultural infrastructure, developed transportation networks, cultural richness, and quality of life, it is an extremely attractive city for investment,” inviting Chinese investors to invest in İzmir.
Eskinazi also stated that İzmir is one of the cities included in the European Union’s Climate-Neutral and Smart Cities Mission in the field of sustainability, describing İzmir as a city that demonstrates its vision through this feature.
Stating that “With its 10 universities and a growing educated population, İzmir is one of the modern and innovative faces of Türkiye,” Eskinazi continued:
“Thanks to its geographical location and developed logistics infrastructure, İzmir is one of Türkiye’s most important gateways to the world. In this respect, Türkiye is not only a market for China but also a strategic regional trade and logistics hub providing access to Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. We have direct connections to 36 countries from Adnan Menderes Airport. We have 16 ports. 17% of Türkiye’s total cargo and 15% of container cargo are handled at İzmir ports. We have hundreds of companies operating in 5 Technology Development Zones and thousands of R&D personnel. With numerous R&D and design centers, our innovation capacity continues to grow. In the field of renewable energy, we are one of the rare cities that host four main sources together: wind, solar, biomass, and geothermal. A significant portion of Türkiye’s installed wind power capacity is located in İzmir. Within the Aegean Exporters’ Associations, there are 8,000 active exporters in 12 sectors. Our sectoral diversity is very high. As of 2025, we achieved $43.6 billion in exports from the Aegean Region, accounting for 16% of Türkiye’s total exports. Since 2019, we have organized many trade delegations, fairs, and training programs to develop our country’s trade with China. We keep our doors open to various opportunities to be developed with China. By actively using the WeChat platform, we closely monitor China. In this context, we believe that the current potential of trade relations between Türkiye and China is much higher. We believe that increasing mutual investments and trade volume will offer significant opportunities for both countries.”
Nanjing Vice Mayor Huo Huiping stated that the trade volume between Nanjing, one of China’s important trade centers, and Türkiye has been increasing every year and reached $830 million in 2025 with a 2.3% increase. Huiping noted that, as the Nanjing administration, they invite Turkish companies to the Chinese market and aim to increase cooperation particularly in food and agricultural products. Huiping said, “We encourage Turkish brands to participate in stores, fairs, and organizations in Nanjing.”
Emphasizing that Nanjing, with its population of 36 million, an economic size exceeding $272 billion, a retail volume approaching $280 billion, and a per capita income reaching $12,000, is an important consumption center, Huiping stated that Nanjing offers significant opportunities for Turkish exporters with its rapidly growing consumer market, particularly in agricultural and food products. Huiping continued:
“We welcome more Turkish-origin quality products such as flour, pasta, olive oil, dried fruits, and nuts to take place in the Nanjing market. As the Nanjing administration, we directly invite Turkish brands to the Chinese market and aim to increase concrete collaborations. We want cooperation not only in trade but also in production and industry. We aim to strengthen supply chain integration, especially in areas such as mining, textiles, ready-to-wear, and new materials.”
Huiping also added that within the scope of the İzmir visit, a “Sister City Protocol” will be signed between İzmir Metropolitan Municipality and Nanjing to develop friendly relations.
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