The time to need each other.

Polish President Andrzej Duda is visiting China from June 24 to 26 at the invitation of Chinese President Xi Jinping. The visit comes amidst ongoing disagreements in EU-China relations and Poland will hold the EU presidency for the first half of next year.

Chinese President Xi Jinping welcomes Polish President Andrzej Duda in Beijing on 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.

Re-establishing bilateral relations

Speaking to reporters before his departure, President Andrzej Duda said that he “is trying to maintain friendly relations with China.” He affirmed, “Poland has always had good relations with China and wants that to continue.” By saying this, President Duda clearly wanted to send a clear signal to Beijing that Warsaw does not want European issues, the trade conflict which 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 speaking to the press after his meeting with President Xi Jinping on June 24, stating, "I presented Warsaw's views on the security situation in Europe and the world , especially in the European region, and I hope that China will support efforts to end the Russia-Ukraine conflict."

Mr. Duda's message was shared by Beijing. Following talks with the European visitor, President Xi Jinping declared 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 this crisis.

Regarding bilateral relations, the head of the world's second-largest economy also pledged his readiness to cooperate with Warsaw to elevate bilateral relations to a higher level, bringing greater stability and certainty to a volatile world. President Xi reminded President Duda that since the two countries upgraded their relationship to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership eight years ago, exchanges and cooperation in many fields have expanded and deepened. According to the Chinese President, this is due to both countries learning from history and developing bilateral relations independently.

Strategic coordination

However, President Xi Jinping simultaneously called on Warsaw to strengthen strategic coordination, boost cooperation within the Belt and Road Initiative, promote cooperation on major projects, and requested Poland to provide a fair and equitable business environment for Chinese enterprises. To demonstrate goodwill and determination, at the meeting, the Chinese President announced the unilateral 15-day visa exemption policy for Polish citizens and witnessed the signing of several cooperation agreements across numerous fields.

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

In response to Beijing's warm welcome, President Duda also recalled President Xi Jinping's state visit to Poland in 2016 as a significant milestone in the development of the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries.

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

Expanding influence

Given the continued differences between the EU and China, particularly in the economic sphere and on the Ukraine issue, the visit of the Polish President, whose country will assume the rotating EU presidency in the first half of next year, is all the more noteworthy and significant.

However, the EU's decision to increase import tariffs on Chinese electric cars fivefold, starting this July, has left relations between Beijing and Brussels in a gloomy atmosphere. In this stalemate, with Poland poised to assume the EU presidency in the first half of 2025—a time when the situation in Europe and the conflict in Ukraine may be very different—the Warsaw factor could help de-escalate the conflict and reduce disagreements between Beijing and the EU. This is something both Beijing and the EU desire. Therefore, President Duda told the Chinese President that Poland is ready to play a constructive role in promoting EU-China relations and fostering cooperation between Central and Eastern European countries and Beijing.

Given the shared vision and context, with both sides possessing complementary strengths and weaknesses, observers believe 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. Furthermore, the visit provides a favorable opportunity for China to leverage Poland to promote stronger cooperation with Central and Eastern European countries through the "Washington Bridge."

Poland is currently a prominent participant in the EU's Belt and Road Initiative, and Warsaw is also a member of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), founded by Beijing. Furthermore, President Duda's visit to Beijing, while Europe is facing numerous challenges, including the recent unexpected results of the parliamentary elections, will help enhance Warsaw's standing and influence within the 27-member bloc.

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