NATO member Poland's leader visits China, talks with Xi on Ukraine, peace and trade

BEIJING (AP) Polish President Andrzej Duda met with Chinese leader Xi Jinping on Monday for talks on Ukraine, peace and expanding bilateral trade during a visit to Beijing that brought the head of state from 'a NATO member in a country that fully supported Russia. full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

During their meeting at the Great Hall of the People accompanied by a full honor guard and a 21-gun salute, Duda told Xi that relations between Russia's former allied nation that inspired the democratic movements with its promotion of democracy and China which is a communist country the state remains strong.

Xi said their relations were friendly.

“Over the past 75 years since the establishment of diplomatic ties, bilateral ties have maintained steady development, constantly injecting new vitality into the traditional friendship between the two countries, Xi said after the two leaders met. took their seats, surrounded by their assistants and security guards.

Duda said Poland hoped for closer trade ties with China, especially under Xi's Belt and Road Initiative, aimed at building transport links and other infrastructure between China. , Europe, Southeast Asia and other regions, largely in response to the overcapacity of China's huge manufacturing industries, if necessary find foreign markets and expand Beijing's political and economic influence to counter the liberal domestic order led by the United States.

Poland is seeking new markets for its agricultural products, including poultry, and Duda told Polish media after the negotiations that they had opened the door to greater exports to China.

Duda told Polish journalists that their talks lasted four hours, in different formats, including almost an hour of one-on-one discussion with the Chinese leader.

He said Xi had promised a visa waiver for Poles traveling to China for up to 15 days, a decision he was very happy with.

The Russian-Ukrainian conflict was on the agenda of the negotiations and Duda said he had presented in detail Poland's views on the conflict, on the migratory pressure exerted by Russia and its Belarusian ally on the Polish border, on security in Europe and the need for peace.

We have been heard, he declared.

During the meeting, Xi repeatedly said China wants peace and peaceful development, according to Duda.

I hope that China will support, as a world power and a member of the UN Security Council, a peaceful end to the war… which would be in accordance with the principles of international law,” Duda said. emphasizing that Poland opposes changing borders by force.

Poland borders Ukraine and also the Russian enclave of Kaliningrad, and has maintained a hard line against further expansion of Russian aggression. But the bitter conflict raises questions about how to maintain Europe's economic health and democratic institutions, with right-wing politicians making significant gains in this month's European Parliament elections.

Duda sought visa waiver for Polish tourists and businessmen in order to increase Polish exports to China and balance their trade relations.

According to Polish state statistics, 13.9% of national imports last year came from China, while Polish exports to China were only a fraction of that amount.

Several trade agreements were signed following the meeting between the two leaders, notably on Polish agricultural exports and educational exchanges.

Duda has other meetings in Beijing and will travel to the Shanghai financial center to attend a Poland-China economic forum.

Monika Scislowska contributed to this report from Warsaw, Poland.