China-Türkiye Relations: Unravelling the Puzzle

This book provides a comprehensive analysis of post-2002 political, economic and military relations between China and Turkey. It argues that while bilateral relations have expanded, the interactions have been inconsistent and largely driven by developmental imperatives rather than strategic decision-making.Using primary sources, including interviews with government officials and experts, alongside international relations theory, the author analyses the motives and actions of both nations to demonstrate how China and Turkey pursue their interests through overlapping yet misaligned connectivity initiatives that limit the depth of their partnership. The structural constraints tied to issues such as the Uyghur question and NATO alignment form a constant backdrop. These constraints become salient when political or economic triggers intervene so that what appears to be oscillation between convergence and divergence is better understood as compartmentalised engagement rather than a broader strategic realignment.This volume will appeal to scholars and students in the fields of international relations, global security and economic relations, as well as those specialising in China studies, alliance behaviours, middle power balancing and Asian and Middle Eastern studies. It will also be a useful resource for researchers interested in the geopolitical dynamics of the region and the broader implications of these relations on global politics.

About the Author

Xiaoli Guo is a postdoctoral researcher at the Institute of East Asian Studies (IN-EAST) at the University of Duisburg-Essen, Germany. She holds a PhD in international relations and a Master of Asia-Pacific studies from the Australian National University (ANU) and is also affiliated with ANU’s School of Politics and International Relations (SPIR). She has previously been a visiting scholar at the Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences (SASS). Her research focuses on China’s foreign policy and its evolving roles in global politics.