Visiting State Councilor Chen Zhili met on Wednesday with Polish President Lech Kaczynski, with both sides expressing the will to further promote bilateral ties.

 

China attached great importance to its relations with Poland and was ready to develop them further, Chen said.

 

The Sino-Polish relations had scored great successes after years of steady development, Chen told the president.

 

China and Poland had made remarkable achievements in economic and trade cooperation, and had enjoyed closer cooperation and coordination in dealing with international affairs, she said.

 

Both sides had become good friends and partners who trusted each other in politics, cooperated with each other in economic issues and supported each other in international affairs, Chen said.

 

The state councilor expressed her appreciation for Poland's adherence to the one-China policy, which Kaczynski reiterated during the meeting.

 

Bilateral relations were upgraded to a friendly partnership of cooperation during President Hu Jintao's visit to Poland in 2004, ushering in a new phase of development of bilateral ties, Chen said.

 

The recent meeting between the two premiers at the China-EU summit in Helsinki, Finland, further strengthened political trust in each other, she said, adding that China was satisfied with the development of bilateral relations.

 

For his part, Kaczynski said his country was willing to enhance the communication and cooperation with China in various fields.

 

The president said the two sides could not only expand bilateral relations, but develop their relations under the Sino-EU framework and cooperate in international affairs.

 

Chen also met with Poland's Deputy Prime Minister Roman Giertych on Wednesday, and reached a broad consensus on furthering and strengthening Sino-Polish cooperation.

 

Chen said the bilateral relations have sustained a stable development, thanks to the mutual respect that exists between the two countries.

 

The exchanges and cooperation in the fields of education, science, culture and sports have progressed smoothly and the Chinese are satisfied with it, she said, adding that China is ready to promote further bilateral cooperation in these areas.

 

Giertych, who is also education minister, agreed with Chen, saying that Poland attaches great importance to comprehensive cooperation with China in science, education, culture and sports.

 

Poland will not only cooperate with its neighbors, but also actively develop friendly cooperation with Asian countries, particularly with China, said Giertych.

 

The Polish official stressed that with no conflict of interests between Poland and China, the two countries have good prospects in developing bilateral relations.

 

On the same day, Chen also attended signing ceremonies of a letter of intent to carry out educational cooperation for the period 2007-2009, and a memorandum on cultural cooperation for the period 2007-2012.

 

(Xinhua News Agency September 28, 2006)