Roundup: Chinese, Polish experts discuss chances brought by Belt and Road initiative

Experts from Poland and China discussed Poland's role within the Belt and Road initiative during the Europe-China Economy Cooperation Forum in Katowice, southern Poland, on Friday.

The forum consisted of two parts, first of which was especially aimed at "Belt and Road" projects and analyzed the initiative's influence on transport, logistics and trade exchange of the countries along the route.

The other part analyzed the practice of bilateral economy cooperation and looked for means to make some improvements.

Slawomir Majman, President of the Polish Information and Foreign Investment Agency, underlined the recent frequent high-level visits to China, including Polish President Andrzej Duda, who's been to Beijing within the first 100 days since taking up the post.

According to him, it is a good starting point to thinking over the relations between the two countries.

Beata Stoczynska, Deputy Director of Asian and Pacific Department of the Polish Foreign Affairs Ministry, enumerated four pillars on which Poland hopes to stabilize relations with China.

These pillars include bilateral relations, cooperation between regions and local authorities, cooperation within the "16+1" China-Central and Eastern Europe formula, and within China-EU cooperation.

The experts discussed whether Poland, due to its geographical location and potential, could play the role of "gate to Europe" for China and how such a goal could be reached.

Jacek Bartosiak, an expert of the Centre for Analysis of the Jagiellonian Club, called the Belt and Road initiative a huge geostrategic project of a global change which can help both countries to become a core instead of playing a peripheral role.

He reminded that Poland has already been an active participant of the initiative, a good example of which is the first direct cargo train from Poland's city of Lodz to China's Chengdu.

Although a lot have been done towards Poland's participation in the initiative, there are still many challenges ahead of Poland, the experts said.

Recent plans to create a multimodal terminal reflect Poland's aspiration to not only be a place where cargo is reloaded, but also to export more Polish products to China, to ensure the cargo train is not going back empty. Cieslak informed that a new proposal of creating an industrial-technological park is aimed at bringing more Chinese investments into the region.

The second part of Forum gathered theoretical and practical experts of Chinese-Polish economy cooperation.

Chinese experts, such as Professor Long Li from the Social Academy of Science, Chongqing, expressed their satisfaction with active participation and interest of the Polish entrepreneurs in implementation of the initiative, as it is a chance to stimulate both countries' economics.

Li Yongping, President of Zhejiang Maylink Culture Development Company and Edward Zhu, vice-President of Polish Chinese Business Council, both underlined necessity to create Polish brand and increase the country's level of recognition in China.

Li Yongping said that his company in Ningbo witnessed many Polish economic missions.

However, he said, the B2B formula and participation in various fairs used by the Polish side, though good, are not the only measure to stipulate economy cooperation nowadays. The huge role of internet was underlined, as well as cooperation with local governments.

In the Chinese experts' point of view, Polish fruit, vegetables and other agricultural products and local specialties might enjoy a huge interest on the Chinese market once they're acknowledged.

The best proof is the recent Sial Fairs in Shanghai, which observed a large group of Polish food industry manufacturers. However, lack of acknowledged Polish brand and the discrepancies between Poland's enterprises (majority of which are small and medium enterprises) in comparison to the Chinese market potential is another challenge to be faced.

Polish business practitioners seem to agree on what should be done to thoroughly seize the opportunities brought by the initiative.

Adam Brozek, Director of the International Cooperation Department, Ministry of Development, said the authorities are currently working out new coordination mechanisms to ensure maximum efficiency. Endit