Türkiye–China Economic Relations after China’s 2026 “Two Sessions” Meetings

Türkiye–China Economic Relations after China’s 2026 “Two Sessions” Meetings

Within the framework of Türkiye–China trade relations, and from the perspective of our institutional investors and companies focusing on the Chinese market, the “Two Sessions” meetings held in Beijing every year can be seen to offer important opportunities.

In this framework, it is worth following closely the policy orientations set out at the 2026 meetings in terms of Türkiye–China economic relations.

The General Framework of the Two Sessions Meetings

The “Two Sessions”, held in Beijing every March, is one of the most important platforms at which China’s political and economic policies are shaped. Two main bodies convene in this context:
• National People’s Congress
• Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference

During these meetings the government’s annual work report is presented, and economic growth targets, budget policies and sectoral priorities are addressed.

The government work report presented in 2026 by Chinese Premier Li Qiang focuses in particular on increasing domestic consumption and supporting the growth of the services sector.

In this framework, we would like to bring to the attention of our investors some of the key assessments emerging from these two sessions under the following headings.

1. An Economic Policy Focused on Domestic Demand

The Beijing administration sets out ensuring economic stability and strengthening domestic demand as its priority objectives for 2026.

Consumption, services-sector spending, household incomes and social support mechanisms are regarded as the main drivers of the economy.

In addition, within the scope of the 15th Five-Year Plan (2026–2030) currently being prepared, topics such as
• increasing middle-class consumption
• supporting shopping centres and lifestyle consumption
• encouraging the food services and gastronomy sector
can be seen to come to the fore.

These developments indicate that a more favourable commercial environment may emerge, particularly in large cities, for international brands that sell directly to consumers.

2. An Orientation towards High-Quality Foreign Commercial Activity

While the Chinese administration states that it is open to foreign commercial activity, it increasingly expects this activity to be aligned with national development priorities.
China’s new development approach is closely linked to areas such as
• technology
• industrial modernisation
• digitalisation
• strategic supply chains
• economic self-sufficiency.

International press reports and economic analyses state that artificial intelligence, advanced manufacturing, digital infrastructure, biotechnology and robotics in particular stand out as priority areas.

For Turkish firms, this shows that entry into the Chinese market is possible, but that projects involving technology cooperation, localisation, branding, links to tourism, food safety and supply-chain value may attract more interest than simple import-trade models.

3. The Consumer Economy and the Importance of Localisation

For MADO and similar Turkish food and retail brands, one of the most important points is that, although the Chinese administration wishes to stimulate consumption, Chinese consumers remain price-sensitive and local adaptation remains important.

Success in the Chinese market is therefore possible not merely with a foreign brand identity but with an operating model in harmony with local culture and consumption habits.

In this context, the model applied by MADO is noteworthy. Allowing measured localisation in areas such as
• decoration
• menu presentation
• city-based positioning
while preserving brand identity is regarded as an approach that may provide a competitive advantage in the Chinese market.

4. Expanding Sectoral Areas for Türkiye–China Cooperation

The Two Sessions agenda covers not only the consumer sector but also many strategic sectors.
The report emphasises in particular that support will continue for
• advanced technology
• the energy transition
• digital industries
• strategic production capacity.

Energy reports, for their part, show that China’s new planning will continue to increase investment in non-fossil energy alongside energy security.
This offers new opportunities for the development of Türkiye–China economic relations in areas such as
• energy storage systems
• industrial partnerships
• supply-chain cooperation.

5. Risk Management and Economic Outlook

According to international economic assessments, China’s growth target for 2026 is expected to be in the range of 4.5%–5%.

The main reasons for this include
• uncertainties in domestic demand
• structural problems in the real estate sector
• ongoing strategic competition with the US.
This indicates that Chinese companies will continue to show interest in overseas cooperation, but may adopt a more selective, compliance-focused approach that is more demanding in terms of commercial clarity.

It is therefore important that Turkish companies making contact with Chinese firms come prepared not merely with proposals in the nature of declarations of intent, but with
• detailed feasibility studies
• analyses of local regulations
• a clear commercial roadmap.

Conclusion

As the Turkish–Chinese Trade, Education, Culture, Friendship and Business Development Association, we are continuing our work to enable our institutional investors to make more effective use of the opportunities in the Chinese market.

We respectfully inform the public that we will continue to provide every kind of technical support and guidance our investors may need, with the aim of developing sustainable cooperation based on the win-win principle in Türkiye–China trade relations.