Turkish President Suleyman Demirel said on December 25 that Turkey attaches great importance to the further development of Turko-Chinese relations of friendship and cooperation in the 21st century.

Demirel made the pledge while delivering a report, entitled " Turkey Toward 2000," at his annual New Year press conference at the presidency.

He said that "with its enormous human and economic resources, its deep historical roots, and its great potential for development, China will be one of the most important actors of the 21st Century."

"We are determined to expand our relations with China in all areas and to further our corporation in order to jointly benefit from the opportunities presented by the global economy," he added.

He said he expressed these thoughts to Li Peng, chairman of the Standing Committee of China's National People's Congress, during his visit to Turkey on April 6, 1999.

Turkey established diplomatic relations with China on August 4, 1971. Demirel visited China in May, 1995. According to unofficial figures, bilateral trade volume hit some 700 million US dollars last year.