In talks with Zeng Peiyan Polish Deputy Prime Minister Pawlak underscored China’s importance as a trade partner of Poland. He also spoke about the similarities between both countries’ economies: “China is the world’s leading coal producer and Poland is Europe’s”, Pawlak said.
Pawlak added that Poland was looking for ways to lower its negative trade balance with China. “It is important to have a support system for Polish exporters. Last year we raised exporter loans from USD85 million to 285 million”, he said. In Pawlak’s opinion Polish copper, mining machinery and equipment could prove a big success in China. “We are also counting on more Chinese investment in Poland”, Pawlak remarked.
According to Pawlak China and Poland could also co-operate on environmental projects. “We are very keen to exchange experiences in clean coal usage. This is very important in light of the CO2 limits in Europe”, said the Polish Deputy PM.
Peiyan noted that both countries could also work together on energy. “The European Union is our biggest trade partner and Poland is the biggest partner in Central-East Europe”, Peiyan noted, adding that China was ready to talk with Poland on coal gasification and clean technology. “We have similar tasks ahead regarding carbon dioxide emissions”, Peiyan said.
The Chinese Deputy PM stressed that the trade deficit with Poland was also posing a problem for China. “The Chinese authorities try to encourage Chinese enterprise to help build infrastructure in Poland”, he said.
Peiyan also declared the will to continue government-level contacts with Poland. Among others he invited Polish President Lech Kaczyński to the opening of the Beijing Olympic Games, and Polish PM Donald Tusk to the October ASEM summit.
Also on the agenda of the Peiyan-Pawlak meeting was the signing of co-operation contracts. Among others Poland’s copper company KGHM Polska Miedź S.A. signed an export agreement with China Minmetals Corp. and China Minmetals Nonferrous Metals Co. Ltd. The signatories on the Polish side were KGHM President Krzysztof Skóra and his Deputy Ireneusz Reszczyński, on the Chinese side China Minmetals Corp. President Zhou Zhongshu and China Nonferrous Metals Corp. Vicepresident Jiao Jian. Under the agreement KGHM is to ship 40,000 tons of cathodes to China before year’s end.
Deputy PM Pawlak also presented Lenovo President Yang Yuanqing with a letter of intent on a long-term support programme for Lenovo projects in Poland. Legnica Special Economic Zone President Krzysztof Pawłowski also gave Yuanqing an official permit for business in the zone. Lenovo’s Polish plant is to start up in September and initially turn out 2 million computers a year. Once in full gear, the factory plans to employ more than a thousand workers.
The Polish aircraft producer PZL Świdnik S.A. and the Aircraft Works in Jiujiang agreed to work together on the marketing in China of PZL’s Sokół, Kania and SW-4 helicopters. PZL pledged to supply 150 machines of each type over the next 10 years. The signatories on the Polish side were PZL President Mieczysław Majewski and Ryszard Cukierman from the company board, on the Chinese side – Aircraft Works President Li Xu.
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China is Poland’s biggest Asian trade and import market. In 2006 Polish exports to China rose 29% to USD762 billion and imports from China 39% to about USD7,647 billion.
In 2006 Poland’s exports to China were mainly included copper and copper alloys, paper, cable, fireproof ceramics and motor accessories. From China Poland mainly bought computers, telephones and phone parts, transformers, toys, shoes, TVs and lightbulbs.
At the end of 2006 the overall value of Chinese investment in Poland amounted to around USD120 million, the corresponding figure for Polish projects in China was EUR128 million.