China, Poland highlight cooperation under Belt and Road Initiative

Chinese President Xi Jinping(R) meets with Polish Prime Minister Beata Szydlo at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, May 12, 2017. Beata Szydlo is in Beijing to attend the Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation. (Xinhua/Xie Huanchi)

BEIJING, May 12 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday called on China and Poland to increase cooperation under the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative.

Xi made the remarks when meeting with Polish Prime Minister Beata Szydlo, who is in Beijing to attend the Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation, scheduled for May 14 to 15.

Noting that Poland was among the first countries to establish diplomatic ties with the People's Republic of China, Xi said China views Poland as an important partner for cooperation in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) and within the European Union.

China is willing to work with Poland to further enrich their comprehensive strategic partnership, by maintaining high-level exchanges between the two countries, and expanding dialogue between their governments, legislative bodies and political parties, Xi said.

They should base bilateral ties on mutual respect and equality to make sure that China-Poland relations continue healthy and stable development, he said.

The Chinese president highlighted environmental protection, finance, high-tech industries, infrastructure and logistics as areas where China and Poland could step up collaboration.

Both sides should foster more balanced development in bilateral trade, enhance cooperation in sectors such as culture, education and tourism, as well as between local governments, and boost people-to-people exchanges between the two countries, he said.

Xi went on to say that China appreciates Poland's active support and participation in building the Belt and Road, and said both countries should identify more areas where their respective development strategies converge.

He also expressed hope that Poland will play a positive role in promoting China-EU relations.

According to Xi, China sees the 16+1 cooperation between China and 16 CEE countries as an important gateway to incorporate the Belt and Road Initiative into the European economic community, a priority platform to step up China-EU ties, as well as a new engine to drive China-EU cooperation.

China hopes Poland will continue its work to help expand the 16+1 cooperation, build the Belt and Road and boost China-EU cooperation in the CEE region, he said.

For her part, Szydlo said Xi's visit to Poland in June last year had significantly promoted bilateral ties and win-win cooperation between the two sides.

She said the Belt and Road Initiative is of key importance to not only Poland's, but also the world's balanced and sustainable development.

Poland is willing to actively cooperate under the Belt and Road framework in areas such as infrastructure, and to collaborate with relevant parties in cultural, investment, high-tech and tourism sectors, Szydlo said, adding that all these will contribute to trade and connectivity between China and Poland as well as Europe at large

In a separate meeting with Szydlo also on Friday, Chinese Premier Li Keqiangurged China and Poland to make full use of regular meetings between the Chinese premier and Polish prime minister and other mechanisms and platforms, to dovetail their development strategies and boost connectivity and bilateral trade.

The two countries should work together in areas such as infrastructure and energy, and seek collaboration with third-party markets, Li said, adding that efforts should also be made to foster new growth engines in emerging sectors.

Szydlo said Poland is willing to maintain its close high-level exchanges with China, and to achieve mutual benefits via infrastructure construction, industrial and agricultural cooperation, as well as expanded cultural and people-to-people exchanges.

A series of bilateral cooperation documents covering environmental protection and tourism were signed after the meeting.