Time to need each other

Polish President Andrzej Duda is on a visit to China from June 24 to 26 at the invitation of President Xi Jinping. The visit comes amid ongoing disagreements in EU-China relations and Poland's EU presidency in the first half of next year.

Chinese President Xi Jinping welcomes Polish President Andrzej Duda in Beijing, June 24. (Source: Xinhua)

This is the first state visit by a Polish president to China since 2016, when the two sides upgraded their relationship to a strategic partnership during President Xi Jinping's visit to Warsaw.

Warm up bilaterally

Speaking to reporters before leaving, President Andrzej Duda said that he was “trying to maintain friendly relations with China.” “Poland has always had good relations with China and wants that to continue,” Duda asserted. By saying this, President Duda obviously wanted to send a clear signal to Beijing that Warsaw does not want European problems, the trade conflict that is showing signs of turning into a trade war, and especially Poland’s stance on the conflict between Russia and Ukraine to affect bilateral relations.

That message was reiterated by the Polish President when he told reporters after his talks with President Xi Jinping on June 24 that, "I presented Warsaw's views on the security situation in Europe and the world, especially in the European region, and hoped that China would support efforts to end the Russia-Ukraine conflict."

Duda's message was shared by Beijing. After talks with his European guest, President Xi Jinping said that China supports all efforts to bring the conflict in Ukraine to a peaceful end and that Beijing will continue to play a role in finding a political solution to the crisis.

Regarding bilateral relations, the head of the world's second largest economy also pledged to work with Warsaw to promote bilateral relations to a higher level, bringing more stability and certainty to a volatile world. President Xi reminded President Duda that since the two countries upgraded their relations to a comprehensive strategic partnership eight years ago, bilateral exchanges and cooperation in many areas have been expanded and deepened. This is because, according to the Chinese President, the two countries have learned lessons from history and developed bilateral relations independently.

Strategic coordination

However, President Xi Jinping also called on Warsaw to strengthen strategic coordination, step up cooperation in the Belt and Road Initiative, promote cooperation in major projects, and asked Poland to provide a fair and equal business environment for Chinese enterprises. To demonstrate goodwill and determination, right at the talks, the Chinese President announced the application of a unilateral 15-day visa exemption policy for Polish citizens and witnessed the two sides signing a number of cooperation agreements in many fields.

Going back in history, President Xi Jinping recalled that Poland was one of the first countries to recognize the People's Republic of China and bilateral relations have maintained and progressed steadily since the two countries established diplomatic relations 75 years ago.

Facing Beijing's warm welcome, President Duda also recalled that President Xi Jinping's state visit to Poland in 2016 was an important milestone in the development of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between the two countries.

The European guest affirmed that Poland highly values ​​China's principles in international affairs, stressing that Warsaw adheres to the One China principle. Poland is willing to promote Belt and Road cooperation, strengthen exchanges and cooperation in economy and trade, infrastructure, connectivity and people-to-people exchanges, and expand cooperation in new areas such as digital economy and clean energy, etc.

Open your influence

In the context of the relationship between the EU and China still having many differences, especially in the economic field and views on the Ukraine issue, the visit of the President of Poland, which will assume the rotating presidency of the EU in the first half of next year, is even more notable and meaningful.

But the EU's decision to increase import duties on Chinese electric cars by fivefold starting this July has kept Beijing's relationship with Brussels in a gloomy atmosphere. In such a deadlock, with Poland's position as the EU President in the first half of 2025, when the situation in Europe and the conflict in Ukraine may be very different, the Warsaw factor could help cool down the conflict and reduce disagreements between Beijing and the EU. This is what both Beijing and the EU want. Therefore, President Duda told the Chinese President that Poland is ready to play a constructive role in promoting EU-China relations and promoting cooperation between Central and Eastern European countries and Beijing.

With the vision and context that both sides have points that need and can complement each other, observers say that Beijing values ​​the Polish leader's visit as an opportunity to strengthen political trust and expand bilateral cooperation, including the "Belt and Road" Initiative. In addition, the visit is also a favorable opportunity for China to promote stronger cooperation with Central and Eastern European countries through Poland through the Warsaw "bridge".

Poland is also a prominent EU participant in the Belt and Road Initiative, and Warsaw is a member of the Beijing-founded Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB). In addition, President Duda's visit to Beijing, while Europe is facing many incidents, including the recent parliamentary election results with many unexpected results, will also help to enhance Warsaw's position and influence in this 27-member alliance.

Source: https://baoquocte.vn/tong-thong-ba-lan-tham-trung-quoc-thoi-diem-de-can-nhau-276311.html