Xi stresses growing parliamentary cooperation between China, Poland

WARSAW, June 20 (Xinhua) -- Visiting Chinese President Xi Jinping on Monday urged Chinese and Polish legislative bodies to boost cooperation at various levels and through various channels, so as to promote the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries.

He made the remarks when meeting with Marshal of the Polish Senate Stanislaw Karczewski and Marshal of the Sejm Marek Kuchcinski during a state visit to the Central European country.

The peoples of China and Poland have been supporting and learning from each other, and their traditional friendship has been growing since the two countries established diplomatic ties in1949, Xi said.

Noting that Poland is an important cooperative partner of China in Central and Eastern Europe and in the European Union, the Chinese president said he and his Polish counterpart, Andrzej Duda, have decided to lift bilateral ties to a comprehensive strategic partnership.

Friendly exchanges between the two countries' legislative bodies are an important part of bilateral relations and an important channel for people of the two countries to increase their friendship and learn from each other, Xi said, adding that the National People's Congress (NPC) of China has had close cooperation with Poland's Senate and Sejm with positive results in recent years.

He urged the two countries' parliamentary institutions to keep in touch and carry out cooperation at various levels, through various channels and in various forms so as to further advance bilateral ties.

Karczewski and Kuchcinski said that Poland's Senate and Sejm attach great importance to the Poland-China ties and are willing to enhance exchanges with the NPC and vigorously promote the bilateral cooperation in economy, culture and tourism, so as to bring bilateral ties to a new high and benefit the people of the two countries.

Xi arrived here Sunday for a state visit. It is the first state visit by a Chinese head of state to Poland in 12 years and the second leg of Xi's current three-nation Eurasia tour.

Xi visited Serbia before Poland, and is expected to travel to Uzbekistan for a state visit and attend a summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization.