Action plan issued for Sino-Polish cooperation

President Xi Jinping hosts a welcoming ceremony for Polish President Andrzej Duda at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Monday. Duda is making a five-day state visit to China that started on Saturday. (YUE YUEWEI/XINHUA)

China has decided to implement a 15-day visa-free policy for Polish citizens, President Xi Jinping said when meeting with visiting Polish President Andrzej Duda in Beijing on Monday, as both nations issued an action plan to boost cooperation in trade and other fields.

China and Poland should work together to promote high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, and push forward their cooperation on the China-Europe Railway Express and other major projects, Xi told Duda, who is in China for a five-day state visit that started on Saturday.

Xi also called on the two countries to enhance cooperation on trade, agriculture, the digital economy, green industry, and clean energy.

China welcomes the import of more high-quality agricultural products from Poland, and supports both nations in expanding investment in each other's country, Xi said, adding that China hopes Poland will provide Chinese companies with a business environment that is fair, just, and nondiscriminatory.

Duda said his country hopes to continue to promote Belt and Road cooperation with China while deepening cooperation in areas including trade, agriculture, and infrastructure.

Poland also looks to expand bilateral cooperation in emerging sectors, such as the digital economy and new energy vehicles, Duda said.

Poland has been China's largest trading partner in Central and Eastern Europe since 2005, according to the Foreign Ministry. Bilateral trade in 2023 reached $42.03 billion.

Both Xi and Duda expressed the two countries' hope to work together to promote China's cooperation with Central and Eastern European countries, and its relations with Europe as a whole.

Poland is a member of the cooperation mechanism between China and Central and Eastern European countries. The mechanism was launched when leaders of the countries met for the first time in Warsaw in 2012.

Promoting trade is among the major goals of Duda's visit, said Kong Tianping, a researcher at the Institute of European Studies of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.

According to the action plan issued on Monday, both sides said they will work together to grant wider access for Polish products to the Chinese market and promote and simplify exports of Polish products to China.

Both sides will also support bilateral investment in electric vehicles, green development, logistics, and other sectors.

This year marks the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and Poland, one of the first countries to recognize New China.

Duda's visit comes more than two years after his attendance at the opening ceremony of the 2022 Beijing Olympic Winter Games. He met with Xi at that time.

Xi and Duda also exchanged views on the Ukraine crisis on Monday.

Xi emphasized that China's position on the crisis promotes peace, talks, and a political settlement.

Parties should work to avoid the expansion or escalation of the conflict, de-escalate the situation, and create conditions for peace talks, Xi said, adding that this is in line with the interests of the international community, including Europe.

China opposes some people's attempts to use normal China-Russia trade as an excuse to shift the blame and smear China, Xi said.

In addition, China encourages and supports all efforts that will help to solve the crisis peacefully, and promotes the building of a European security architecture that is balanced, effective, and sustainable, Xi said. China will continue to play a constructive role in promoting the political settlement of the crisis in its own way, he added.

Premier Li Qiang also met with Duda in Beijing on Monday.