The prime minister was accompanied by a group of Polish business people - members of the Confederation of Polish Employers (KPP), headed by KPP President Andrzej Malinowski. “Polish Market” asked him to comment on opportunities for cooperation with Chinese partners, especially in the context of Poland’s preparations for the Euro 2012 football championship. Andrzej Malinowski talks to Henryka Kopacz.



Q: What was the programme of the week-long visit of the KPP delegation to China?

A: The most important topic of our meetings and talks with Chinese partners was the prospect of getting Chinese companies involved in preparations for the Euro 2012 European football championship in Poland, in particular the construction of sports facilities and tourist and hotel infrastructure. We held many business meetings in Shanghai and Beijing. I am personally very satisfied with meetings with the president of China Enterprise Confederation and vice-president of Shanghai People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries. The Chinese are very open to business opportunities and analyse them very carefully. During a meeting at the Shanghai Chamber of Industry and Commerce, the two organisations decided to work even closer to support relations between Polish and Chinese companies.

In Beijing, members of our delegation took part in a Polish-Chinese seminar on bilateral trade and investment. The programme included addresses by Polish and Chinese deputy economy ministers, and speeches by myself and a vice-president of the Polish Chamber of Commerce. After an animated discussion, which showed that interest in cooperation was high, the second part of the seminar were talks between business people.

The Polish-Chinese Economic Forum attended by Prime Minister Donald Tusk was the most important event during our Chinese visit. The Polish Consulate General in Shanghai and a local chamber of commerce - the Council for the Promotion of International Trade – were the organisers of the Forum.



Q: What is your assessment of the Economic Forum in Shanghai and its possible results?

A: I think that Chinese entrepreneurs are very interested in economic cooperation with Poland. The best proof of that interest is that over 200 leading Chinese companies from key sectors like construction and building materials industry, environmental protection, food and textile industries, and telecommunications, took part in the Forum.

Shanghai is now a global metropolis with great ambitions. The openness and dynamism of the city coupled with the growing affluence of its residents are factors which are likely to help the expansion of Polish exports on this market. During the Forum, companies based in Shanghai confirmed their interest in expanding their presence in Poland. Construction, telecommunications and electronics companies have particularly strong plans associated with the Polish market.

Contacts between the Polish and Chinese business communities are increasingly frequent and close. We are intensively looking for new areas of cooperation and business opportunities beneficial to both sides. Many business people are already aware it is worth travelling thousands of kilometres to meet and start work with new business partners.

The first results of this new Polish-Chinese economic cooperation can already be seen. Poles are somewhat surprised to discover that the products which were once associated with German or Italian manufacturers now bear the “Made in China label.” These are quality products at reasonable prices. And we would like the “Made in Poland” brand to have equally good connotations in China and gain quite a strong presence in the country. What is needed is mutual investment: Chinese investment in Poland and Polish investment in China.



Q: How are Polish companies coping on the Chinese market?

A: The two countries have a good tradition of economic relations. Chipolbrok, a Polish-Chinese shipping company set up in 1951, has prospered until the present day. Our cooperation in mining also used to be strong and Polish mining equipment working in Chinese mines has shown its worth. Now, relying on our past experience, we have to make our economic relations more modern and dynamic.

Our companies, especially those introducing modern technologies, have to work together. A perfect example of such joint work is Chinese investment in Bioton, a Polish producer of new-generation insulin. There are also examples of Polish projects carried out in the Chinese sectors producing paper machines, mining equipments and construction chemicals.

The strength of the Polish economy lies in its dynamic small and medium-sized businesses and it is in these businesses that the enterprising spirit and diligence of Polish people is best reflected. After gaining experience and achieving export success on the European market, they are now taking the Silk Route to China. I hope that this journey will be a success and that the business they will be doing in China will be beneficial to both sides.



Q: What factors could stimulate Polish-Chinese economic relations?

A: After accession to WTO, China has been expanding its economic cooperation with other countries. Poland, as a member of the European Union, is becoming an increasingly important part of the single European market. As a member of the European Union, we are aware of problems resulting from trade deficit. But they do not undermine our determination to expand economic cooperation with China. Poland is China’s largest trade partner in Central Europe. In 2007 the value of Polish exports to China exceeded PLN1 billion for the first time ever. But we still import much more from China than we export. This is why we hope to increase sales of Polish products on the Chinese market. We would like the increasingly affluent Chinese consumers to have an opportunity to get familiar with quality Polish foodstuffs, cosmetics and other market products.

The Chinese say: “There is a time to fish and a time to dry nets.” I think we have spent too much time “drying nets” so far. I hope the years to come will mark a “long period of joint fishing with a big catch.” This is why we tried to encourage our Chinese partners to invest in Poland.

The climate for investment is favourable in Poland. The Polish government welcomes foreign investment. In contrast to most EU countries, the Polish economy is growing at a fast pace, we have relatively low inflation, the legal environment for business is improving, our banking system is stable and not in danger of turbulences similar to those affecting the US and some European markets. I am convinced that Poland is a good and promising market for Chinese investors.



Q: KPP has pointed on many occasions to barriers hampering preparations for the Euro 2012 championship. After your visit in China, in which areas do you see an opportunity for Chinese companies to take part in this large project?

A: We would first of all like Chinese companies to carry out infrastructure projects in Poland. We admired China’s excellent preparation for the Beijing Olympic Games, we could see magnificent sports facilities and motorways leading to them. We have to build many motorways, hotels and railway lines in Poland now. It is the challenge Chinese companies could help us to meet, the more so as the catchword “Let’s Go West” is increasingly popular among Chinese business people. Poland is a place where one can invest and find many reliable and credible partners.

I believe that our determination, consistency and will to act will contribute to changing Polish-Chinese economic relations and giving them a new dimension, one measuring up to 21st-century challenges.