Editor’s Note:
Chinese President Xi Jinping wrapped up his three-day state visit to Poland on Tuesday. China and Poland agreed on Monday to upgrade their bilateral relations to a comprehensive strategic partnership. China, the second largest economy in the world, and Poland, the largest country in the China and Central and Eastern European (CEE) regions and the sixth largest economy in the EU, are in a process of rediscovering each other in the political, economic, cultural and societal spheres and working to fill their strategic partnership with real content. At the invitation of the Polish Embassy in Beijing, Global Times (GT) reporter Song Shengxia together with a group of other Chinese journalists paid a working visit to Poland last week. During an interview with visiting Chinese media in Warsaw, Marek Magierowski (M), spokesman for the Polish president, offered his insights into the key issues for economic and political relations between China and Poland.
GT: How do you see Xi’s visit to Poland? How have bilateral ties between China and Poland has evolved in the last few years?
M: The Polish economy is in a particular period of its development. It has received tremendous benefits particularly economically since it joined the EU twelve years ago. However, amid economic globalization as well as increasing international competitions, Poland needs to open its eyes to a wider world and look beyond Europe. This was even more necessary when the Western world was hit by the financial crisis and investment from Western countries slowed down. On the one hand, Poland will continue to cooperate with the key economic partners in the EU especially Germany. On the other hand, the European market is no longer enough as Poland is seeking to continue to expand its economy. This is why the Polish government is encouraging Polish businesses to seek opportunities beyond Europe. We are fully aware it is absolutely important for Poland to strengthen cooperation with China in economic and other fields.
This is certainly not easy because the cultural and political differences, different level of their economic development as well as geographical distance are posing challenges.
However, both China and Poland have made tremendous efforts to boost their bilateral ties in recent years. Last November, President Andrzej Duda visited China and attended China-Poland Economic Forum. Besides, Poland joined the China-initiated Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) as a co-founding member last year. The decision was recently rectified by the Polish Parliament.
The One Belt, One Road as well as AIIB initiatives proposed by China are extremely attractive to Poland. These will provide a good opportunity to bridge not only the authorities of the two countries but also their businesses.
Poland is particularly interested in investing in infrastructure. Polish companies hope to invest in countries along the One Belt, One Road route and help with building highways, bridges, railways and other infrastructure projects in Asia. As the most developed economy in the CEE region, Poland is also interested in investing in infrastructure in the three Baltic States – Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania – as well as Southeast Europe. Meanwhile, although Poland has been a EU member for 12 years, the infrastructure in Poland is still laggard compared with other EU countries. There is a great need for building highways and railways in Poland. Currently, the CEE region has developed an east-west transport network but has no transport network which runs from south to north and from north to south. Poland can serve as a terminal hub for Chinese exports to Europe. Given the need for further developing transport network in Poland, I believe both countries can find areas of cooperation which are mutually beneficial. Within a few years, Poland can be a distribution hub from which Chinese goods are transported to other countries in Europe. Sitting in the heart of Europe, Poland can be an ideal place for Chinese investment.
Poland is currently seeking to build its own brands, an area where China has a competitive edge. Chinese firm Huawei is very popular in Poland. Poland's star striker and one of the world’s top football players Robert Lewandowski are the ambassadors of Huawei in Poland (as well as the Central- Eastern Europe, Baltic and Scandinavian Regions). Building our own national brands is both our challenge and dream. I hope one day we will have our own brands. We are striving toward that goal and currently our more sophisticated products such as trains, buses and electric cars can be found in major cities in Europe. I hope one day a Polish designed train can run on Chinese rails.
Chinese investment can help Poland develop its railway network. Therefore, the economic ties between China and Poland are vital. At the same time, we won’t give up our friendly political ties. During Xi’s visit, economic and other issues that will have a big bearing on the world will be discussed.
GT: How does the Poland-Russia relationship impact the ties between China and Poland?
M: Russia is a neighbor of both China and Russia. The diplomatic ties between Warsaw and Moscow are very important although it is difficult for the two countries to find things in common. It is important for China and Poland to communicate views on Russia for future cooperation. President Duda once said that a stable and friendly cooperation between Poland and Russia requires Russia to turn into a reliable member in the international relationship. The first step is to resolve the Ukraine crisis. I believe China also wants stability in Eastern Europe. For a stable Eastern Europe, other countries also need to communicate with Russia. We should strive to make the New Silk Road a success. We need peace and stability not only in central Europe, the terminal of the New Silk Road, but also in Asia and other former Soviet Union states. There is a saying in Europe, “money likes peace.” China and Poland need to seek common ground. Currently, the relationships between Russia and Poland are under pressure. It is not only due to the Ukraine crisis, political issues but also the complicated past between the two nations. The economic relations between the two countries are also complicated by Russia’s sanction on some Polish exports following the embargoes of the EU and US on Russia. This is why we need to seek peace and stability not only for the relations between Russia and Poland but also relations between Poland and Asia. We believe China and Poland share the same views on the issue.
GT: The EU voted against recognizing China as a market economy. As a EU member, does Poland think China deserves a market economy status?
M: This is a very complicated and difficult question. Since Poland is a EU member, we need to draft certain policies with other countries in the EU. I believe China is hoping to be recognized as a market economy by the EU and I’m hoping this can come true as well.
GT: China has pledged to reform its State-owned sectors. Are there any lessons and experience that China can draw from Poland as it strives to develop a mixed ownership economy?
M: Through the reforms in the 1990s, some Polish companies were sold to some international groups. The biggest problem we are facing is that the stakes of many companies are not controlled by Poles. Over the past 20 years, we have been seeking foreign capital and new technologies abroad, but Poles do not control these companies. So these foreign-invested companies are not Polish companies. That is why Poland has so far had no major international brand. Opel cars, which are produced in Polish city Gliwice, are very popular in Europe. But Opel is a German brand. Europeans know it is a German brand but few know it is produced in Poland. This is one of the key problems in the Polish economy.
GT: There have been concerns from Brussels over laws pushed through by Poland’s new government. How will Warsaw react to these concerns?
M: Poland is a EU member and will forever remain in the EU. Different member states may at different times have some issues with the European Commission. Italy, Germany and Britain all have some issues with the Commission that need to be resolved. This is quite common. Recent concerns Brussels may result from the fact that the incumbent Polish government emphasizes a more independent attitude compared with previous governments.