On Monday Andrzej Duda he spoke in Beijing with the second person in the country, Prime Minister Li Qiang, and the third most important politician of the ruling Communist Party – the chairman of the Standing Committee of the Chinese Parliament, Zhao Leji. In the afternoon local time, the Polish president met with the leader of China, Xi Jinping.
The main topic of the talks are economic relations, including wider opening of the Middle Kingdom market to Polish products and Chinese investments in Poland. The Polish side also raises security issues – primarily the situation in Ukraine and on the Polish-Belarusian border – and possible abolition of visas for Poles visiting China.
Ukraine and Belarus
As reported by the Chancellery of the President, the visit consists of two components: trade and investmentincluding wider access of Polish agricultural products to the second largest economy in the world, and a safety element. Andrzej Duda announced that he would inform Xi about the Polish view on the current situation in Europe related to Russia's aggression against Ukraine.
The information provided shows that the presidential advisers decided to present the economy and security to the Chinese as one package. The president is expected to talk about the disruption caused by the ongoing war and hybrid attack Belarus to the Polish border cause trade. Polish diplomats hope that Beijing will use its close relations with Moscow and Minsk to alleviate conflicts in the future.
They intend to use it as a bargaining chip strategic position Polish on the land route from Asia to Europe. Nearly 90% of them pass through Polish territory. trains carrying goods between China and Europe.
Chinese state media focus on the economic aspects of the visit and Beijing's relations with the European Union. They emphasize that Poland is the largest partner of the Middle Kingdom in Central and Eastern Europe, and China for many years they were Poland's second largest trading partner.
The government tabloid Global Times, addressed to international readers, emphasized on Sunday that Duda's visit takes place during a trade dispute between Beijing and the European Union related to the planned increase in tariffs on electric cars imported from China. One of the quoted analysts told the newspaper that visit “will play an important role in stabilizing China-European relations”.
In an interview for the party's “Dziennik Ludowy” (“Renmin Ribao”) – a newspaper addressed to government officials – the Chinese ambassador in Warsaw Sun Linjiang said that Poland was among the first countries to sign the Belt and Road Initiative agreement. The initiative is a global plan to build a network of railways, roads and ports that will give Beijing access to raw materials and markets. CGTN television emphasized that both countries base their mutual relations on achieving benefits. Commentators also point out that their economies can complement each other.
Polish-Chinese cooperation
President Duda previously met President Xi Jinping four times, both in Beijing he is seen as a politician who favors China. It is emphasized that he participated in all meetings of the so-called format 17+1 – an initiative connecting China with the countries of Central and Southern Europe.
The diplomacy of the Middle Kingdom will try to show that cooperation within this group, from which several countries have withdrawn in recent years, can still be beneficial to Europeans.
For China, the visit of a Polish politician of such a high rank may also be an opportunity to demonstrate that despite competition with United States Beijing's relations with US allies in Europe remain normal and pragmatic. Xi's recent visit to France, Serbia and Hungary was presented in a similar way.
Five-day visit
Andrzej Duda arrived in China on Saturday, and the visit program was extended for the next four days. On Sunday, the Polish president presented decorations at the embassy in Beijing to people who have made outstanding contributions to Polish-Chinese cooperation.
He is scheduled to take part in the opening session on Tuesday 15th Annual New Leaders Meeting of the World Economic Forum Summer in Dalian in the northern part of China, and in the following days meet with the regional authorities of Shanghai, analysts and give a lecture at the local Fudan University. It will open too Polish-Chinese Economic Forum.