China is sincere in developing Sino-Poland relations

Poland, located at the crossroads of Eurasia, is a country with the largest population, greatest land area and biggest economy in Central and Eastern Europe, as well as an important member state of the European Union. At the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949, Poland was one of the first countries who recognized and established diplomatic relations with China, and the friendship between the peoples of both countries has been strong ever since.

Since then, over the past 70 years, China-Poland relations have continued to develop. In particular, in June 2016, when Chinese President Xi Jinping made a historic visit to Poland. Then, the heads of the two states decided to upgrade China-Poland relations to a comprehensive strategic partnership, opening a new chapter in the history of bilateral relations. The establishment of the comprehensive strategic partnership between China and Poland, as well as practical cooperation in various fields, including cultural exchanges, has been deepening and has brought tangible benefits to the peoples of the two countries.

The year of 2019 marks the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China and the 70th anniversary of the start of diplomatic relations between China and Poland.

China and Poland have maintained good bilateral relations for a long time. And since the 1970s and 1980s, the two countries have respectively taken the path of reform and transformation.

From the beginning of the 21st century, especially in recent years, the bilateral relations have made new progress. Now that we are in a new era, we can further develop China-Poland and China-EU relations.

The world is undergoing a new round of globalization with great changes as well as great adjustment, where the economic and social development of all countries is becoming closely connected, global governance and the reform of the international order is accelerating, and the international community is increasingly becoming a community of "one for all and all for one", and this is also the logic of the development for the global society.

At the same time, the world economy has been adjusted thoroughly, with protectionism and unilateralism rising affecting economic globalization, while multilateralism and the free trade system are being challenged, and the overall development of the world economy is faced with many risks and uncertainties. However, economic globalization is an irreversible trend, and globalization is bound to move forward and provide strong impetus for the development of the world economy. So, to face the new situation and new challenges, the only right choice is to cooperate hand in hand for win-win solutions.

In recent years, through the 16+1 cooperation in the subregion and Belt and Road Initiative, China and Poland have carried out a lot of cooperation. At the first China International Import Expo held in Shanghai in November 2018, the Polish government set up the largest pavilion among the member countries of the European Union. And a special government delegation was sent to look for opportunities for cooperation.

Looking forward, China and Poland can find more opportunities to deepen cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative and the Responsible Development Plan of the Polish government, so as to promote more steady bilateral relations.

China has accumulated rich experience in the field of infrastructure. However, only by facilitating connectivity can the effectiveness of infrastructure be fully realized and the return on investment be ensured. Poland is a transport hub for Eurasia, and China can share its experience and strengthen cooperation with Poland, whether it is building a Central Communication Port or a major infrastructure project such as the National Railway Plan and Gdansk Port.

Development finance is an important support for economic development and an important financing channel for major infrastructure projects. And China has made key efforts in the field of development finance and accumulated valuable experience. So, through Poland's Responsible Development Plan, China and Poland can explore specific ways of working together in terms of development finance.

In addition, Poland, by issuing "panda bonds" in China, offers new options for strengthening cooperation in the financial sector.

At present, China is continuing to promote cooperation with international financial institutions such as the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development to enable connectivity in Central and Eastern Europe. The Asia Infrastructure Investment Bank and Silk Road Fund are also open to Poland.

Throughout history, Poland has produced world-class scientists such as Copernicus and Madame Curie. And today, Poland has a large number of high-quality talents, solid basic research and a business environment conducive to innovation, in line with the increasing demand for innovation by Chinese enterprises.

So, for practical cooperation, China and Poland can explore the complementary advantages of R&D and applications in science and technology to serve Asia, Europe and even the world.

The world is today facing many global challenges, whether it is dealing with unilateralism, the impact of trade protectionism, or narrowing the gap between the rich and the poor, handling immigrants and refugees properly, jointly working on climate change, promoting regional economic integration or deepening the reform of the multilateral system. It requires all countries to strengthen cooperation and deepen cooperation among think tanks.

In this respect, China-Poland and China-EU cooperation have great potential.

The author is president of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences and the article is based on his speech at the International Conference on Economic Globalization and China-EU, and China-Poland Relations held at the University of Warsaw on 12 April.