Spotlight: Xi kicks off state visit to Poland, seeking Belt and Road gateway into Europe

WARSAW, June 19, 2016 -- Chinese President Xi Jinping and his wife Peng Liyuan disembark from the plane upon their arrival in Warsaw, Poland, June 19, 2016. Xi Jinping arrived in Poland Sunday for a state visit. (Xinhua/Rao Aimin)

WARSAW, June 19 -- Chinese President Xi Jinping on Sunday kicked off his state visit to Poland and held discussions with his Polish counterpart, Andrzej Duda, as the two countries jointly seek cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative.

SILK ROAD CONNECTS AMBER ROAD

Xi met with Duda soon after his arrival in Warsaw, at an informal meeting at Palace Belwederski, Poland's presidential residence.

Xi told Duda that Poland, which is situated at the heartland of Europe and is where the Amber Road and the Silk Road meet, has a unique geological advantage.

China, Xi said, welcomes Poland's active participation in the Belt and Road Initiative, which aims at building a trade and infrastructure network connecting Asia with Europe and Africa along the ancient trade routes of Silk Road.

Xi suggested the two sides strengthen cooperation under the framework of the grand development blueprint, tap into cooperation potentials in areas including interconnectivity and infrastructure development, and endeavor to seek more results.

The Chinese leader also said that China welcomes Poland to actively take part in the development of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, of which Poland is a founding member.

Poland has been an important hub for trade for millennia, from ancient Amber Road to nowadays' Belt and Road Initiative. Many China-Europe freight trains pass through the country.

In response to Xi's proposal, Duda said Poland is willing to actively participate in the Belt and Road Initiative, and deepen cooperation with China in such fields as infrastructure, railroad, and logistics and transportation.

During Xi's stay in Poland, the two countries are expected to sign agreements in areas such as finance, civil aviation, science and technology, and education, and to further align the Belt and Road Initiative with Poland's development plans.

GATEWAY INTO EUROPE

Poland is the second leg of Xi's Eurasia tour, which took him to Serbia from Friday to Sunday. The visit came on the heels of his visit in March to the Czech Republic, which is also situated in the Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) region.

As an important member of the European Union, Poland leads the CEE region in many ways, said Xi, adding that China is "willing to promote China-CEE and China-EU cooperation by working with Poland."

With bilateral trade volume reaching 17.1 billion U.S. dollars in 2015, Poland has been China's largest trading partner in Central and Eastern Europe, while China has been Poland's largest trading partner in Asia.

During his state visit to China last year, Duda pledged efforts in helping boost Europe-China ties and expressed his country's willingness in dovetailing its development strategies with those of China.

Xi said his Poland visit aims at promoting mutual understanding and trust, facilitating exchange and cooperation in various areas, and deepening the strategic partnership between the two countries.

For his part, Duda said Poland has maintained sound relations with other CEE countries, and is willing to make concerted efforts with China for greater development of the CEE-China cooperation.

On Monday, Xi is scheduled to hold formal talks with Duda on bilateral ties. He will also meet with Polish Prime Minister Beata Szydlo and attend a luncheon hosted by Polish parliamentary leaders.

After visiting Poland, Xi will travel to Uzbekistan for a state visit and attend a summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization.