In recent years, China and the European Union enjoy good relations with remarkable achievements in various cooperation fields. The bilateral trade has quadrupled in the past 10 years, maintaining a rapid growth. The total trade volume exceeded $350 billion in 2007, 150 times that of the beginning of the establishment of our diplomatic relations. The figure mounted another 24.7% in the first quarter of this year. Nowadays, almost 20,000 EU companies have investment in China. EU has become China’s largest trade partner and China has become the largest source of EU imports and the second largest trade partner of the EU.

Poland is an important country in Central-East Europe. China attaches great importance to developing ties and cooperation with Poland. The two countries have seen a sound economic and trade relations over recent years with a continuous growth of bilateral trade volume from $2.3 billion in 2004 to $7.7billion in 2007, an increase of nearly three times. The total bilateral trade volume is expected to exceed $10 billion this year. Poland is China’s 10th largest trade partner within the EU and the largest one in Central-East Europe. China, being Poland’s largest trade partner in Asia, has become its third largest importer last year. Over recent years, the two governments have done tremendous work on the expansion and deepening of the bilateral cooperation with many agreements reached which infused new vigor into the bilateral economic and trade relations.

It is noticed that the total Sino-Poland trade volume still contributes less than 2% of the Sino-EU trade and Poland’s trade deficit with China remains a problem. We understand Poland’s concern and attach great importance to solving the trade imbalance issue. China will not pursue trade surplus with Poland and insists on achieving a trade balance through development. Up till now the Chinese side has already taken many measures to increase import from Poland including organizing Central-East Europe Commodities Fair and conclusion of an agreement on sanitary condition and quarantine of dairy products and poultry meat, which have achieved preliminary results. Poland’s export to China mounted 26.9% in the first 5 months this year over the same period of 2007. Increasing mutual investment is thought to be vital at this stage to improve the economic cooperation structure and expand our current economic and trade cooperation. At present, bilateral investment mainly resides in electro-mechanical field, real estate, telecom technology service and so on. The scale and scope of investment is too limited to match the size and potential of the two economies. We hope the enterprises from both sides can strengthen mutual understanding and broaden the fields of investment. Polish enterprises are welcome to China for Chinese market and consumer research, introducing their products and services and setting up business. We also encourage Chinese companies to come to invest in Poland.

Having been in Poland for nearly a year, I am impressed by the strong will of all circles of the Polish society to develop cooperation with China. At present, both Chinese and Polish economy sustain a rapid development, which provides a good opportunity for strengthening the bilateral cooperation. My colleagues in the Chinese Embassy and I are devoted to serving as a bridge in the exchange and cooperation between the enterprises from both sides and promoting further development of China-Poland economic and trade relations. In the coming September, the 12th China International Fair for Investment & Trade will be held in Xiamen. All Polish enterprises are welcome to participate in the CIFIT. At the same time, we advise Polish businessmen to visit the website of the commercial office of our Embassy to get a better understanding about the needs of Chinese enterprises.

Finally, I would like to extend my wish of greater success to the POLISH MARKET magazine, especially more achievement in the brilliant jobs it has already done as a bridge for the Polish enterprises to reach the world and foreign enterprises to understand Poland.