Businesses call for elevated economic cooperation between China and Poland despite external complexity

China and Poland have substantial potential for economic cooperation in both traditional and emerging high-tech industries given the two economies' strong complementarity, business leaders said, expressing hopes for stable and continuously boosted bilateral relations, and more pragmatic and deeper economic and trade cooperation, amid Polish President Andrzej Duda's state visit to China.

Chinese businesses operating in Poland highlighted the two countries' steadily growing trade in recent years. However, they said there is still significant potential to enhance trade cooperation, calling for strengthened mutual political trust and deepened cooperation across all sectors to foster enduring, high-quality opportunities for businesses and individuals from both nations.

This year marks the 75th anniversary of diplomatic ties between the two countries. Polish President Andrzej Duda is currently on a state visit to China. Economic and trade cooperation is part of the focus of the high-level visit, according to Polish media reports.

The Polish leader said on Sunday that the two countries are poised to sign several economic agreements during the visit, highlighting ongoing efforts to access the Chinese market for Polish poultry and beef, while also aiming to attract increased Chinese investment, the Polish Press Agency reported.

"Despite external uncertainties, I believe both sides will prioritize economic interests," Han Baohua, the president of the Chinese-Polish Chamber of Commerce, told the Global Times in a recent interview, saying access to the vast Chinese market is of great importance to the Polish government and enterprises.

"Poland excels in agricultural exports and has developed advanced food processing technologies. Local enterprises are keen to collaborate with China in these areas of strength," Han said, adding that cosmetics, machinery, manufacturing, and the new-energy sector also hold promise for trade expansion.

In the first five months of 2024, bilateral trade grew 5.2 percent year-on-year to 126.06 billion yuan ($17.37 billion). China has been Poland's second-largest trading partner for several years, and Poland is China's largest trading partner in Central and Eastern Europe, according to official data.

As an EU member state and a leader in Central and Eastern Europe, Poland serves as a pivotal gateway for Chinese enterprises seeking European access under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), Sun Tianping, a research fellow at the Institute of European Studies of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times on Monday.

China has always valued its economic relations with Poland, which stands as an important economic partner for China in Central and Eastern Europe, Sun said, adding that the high-level visit is expected to foster political trust between the two countries amid the volatile international landscape, thereby facilitating pragmatic cooperation in the economic sector.

"We hope that Poland can fully utilize its advantage as a key hub along the China-Europe Railway Express and a gateway to the EU, fostering cooperation with China in various sectors including electric vehicles, batteries, energy storage, smart energy management, e-commerce and high-quality agricultural products to enhance the potential for bilateral trade cooperation," said Shi Liren, chairman of the Chinese Business Association in Poland.