2016年CRI Xi's Visit to Boost China-Poland Ties

Chinese president Xi Jinping's visit is expected to boost cooperation not only with Poland, but also with Europe as a whole.

Chinese ambassador to Poland, Xu Jian, says China welcomes the partnership 1 with Poland under the belt and road initiative and the 16 plus 1 mechanism 2.

"China is willing to help Poland in areas such as infrastructure 3 construction, logistics, new energy, agriculture and technology, where we can work together. During President Xi's visit, China and Poland will sign new commercial documents. The perspective of these cooperations is looking bright."

China and Poland have also been talking about the possibility of cooperation in nuclear energy.

Jia Xiudong, Senior Research Fellow from the China Institute of International Studies, believes it will be a topic of discussion during Xi's visit.

"When it comes to nuclear energy, Poland has a plan to build a power plant. Poland itself doesn't have many natural resources so it relies on the import of energy. So it would like to build a nuclear power plant and it has been talking with many companies in several countries like France and Japan. Chinese companies are also interested in nuclear cooperation with Poland. So during President Xi Jinping's trip to Poland, this topic will certainly come up."

Since the two countries established a strategic partnership in 2011, trade between China and Poland has increased by 30 percent.

Poland has been China's largest trade partner in central and eastern Europe, while China is the biggest partner for Poland in Asia.

Many Chinese enterprises have been jumping on the bandwagon and finding their way into the Polish market.

Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei has been a major success story.

The company has already taken up to 20 percent of the market, as of the end of last year.

Deputy chief of Huawei's eastern and northern European region, Zhang Xibo, says Poland is the pivot 4 of a potentially much larger market.

"We don't see Poland as a market within just its boundaries. Considering its population and its GDP being the largest in the region, Huawei based its eastern, central and northern branches in Poland and set out from here, to work under the partnership with local services. There is also a regional operation center there to undertake expansion tasks."

China and Poland are also stepping up cultural exchanges. A China-themed book exhibition has kicked off in Warsaw, the capital city of Poland.

During this one-month exhibition, various China-themed books will be displayed and sold in nine Polish cities, including Warsaw, Krakow, and Gdansk.

China's National Museaum will also hold a comprehensive exhibition in Poland in September.