?

Rupert Hoogewerf (L), a British accountant also known as Hu Run by his Chinese name, presents the lifetime achievement award to Husnu Ozyegin, a billionaire who founded Ozyegin University in Istanbul, at a Chinese New Year celebration activity in Istanbul, Turkey, Jan. 29, 2019. The 2019 Hurun Global Chinese New Year Series made its debut in Istanbul on Tuesday evening, bringing together about 200 Turkish industrialists and entrepreneurs to have a moment of joy and harmony with the Chinese. (Xinhua/Xu Suhui)

ISTANBUL, Jan. 29 (Xinhua) -- The 2019 Hurun Global Chinese New Year Series made its debut in Istanbul on Tuesday evening, bringing together about 200 Turkish industrialists and entrepreneurs to have a moment of joy and harmony with the Chinese.

"This is our first year in Turkey. It is beautiful to see all these Chinese lanterns all over here," said Rupert Hoogewerf, a British accountant also known as Hu Run by his Chinese name.

"Today there are many industrialists, entrepreneurs and people who are interested in developing a relationship between China and Turkey. We are helping them to build partnerships," said Hu Run, whose publications include lists of the rich in China and other parts of the world.

Hurun Chinese New Year Dinner Series, which kicked off in 2016, is covering eight cities in four continents in 2019.

In Istanbul, awards were presented as well to three Turks in recognition of their contributions to Turkey-China relations, with the lifetime achievement award going to Husnu Ozyegin, a billionaire businessman who founded Ozyegin University in Istanbul, the outstanding contribution award going to the Dorak tourism agency now in business for 20 years, and the future star award to Ugur Talayhan, general manager of the Swissotel the Bosphorus, which played host to the Chinese New Year event.

Talayhan, who worked in China for seven years, voiced his readiness to help the Turkish and Chinese develop and build partnerships.

Esra Degirmenci, head of the global brand and tourism management with the Dorak tourism agency, described the event as a good platform to introduce the Chinese culture and for the Turkish businessmen to interact and build partnerships with the Chinese.

In the view of Cengiz Ozgencil, founder of the International Cooperation Platform, the Chinese economy "will be the No. 1 in the world in the next decade," and all the obstacles being put by the United States to prevent the development of China are "meaningless," and the United States is also "very well aware of the fact that China is developing and doing well."

As to the Chinese New Year event, he said "these kinds of events have tremendous contributions to the strengthening of the friendship between the two communities."