BEIJING, July 29 (Xinhua) — Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday afternoon held phone talks with his Polish counterpart, Andrzej Duda.

Xi recalled that when Duda came to China for the opening ceremony of the Beijing Winter Olympics earlier this year, they had friendly exchanges and reached many important consensuses on advancing bilateral relations.

Since then, various departments of the two countries have actively worked with each other for implementation, and made positive progress in the export of Polish agricultural products to China, China-Europe freight trains and personnel exchanges, the Chinese president said.

The Chinese side cherishes its traditional friendship with Poland and regards the country as a preferred partner for cooperation in Europe, Xi noted, adding that China stands ready to maintain close communication with the Polish side, enhance political mutual trust and continue to elevate the China-Poland comprehensive strategic partnership.

Xi stressed that the two sides should strengthen policy communication, make use of such mechanisms as the China-Poland Intergovernmental Cooperation Committee and the joint economic and trade commission to enhance strategic synergy between the two sides, advance high-quality joint Belt and Road construction, deepen practical cooperation in such areas as economy, trade and connectivity, and work together to foster new growth points in green development, digital economy and other fields.

China welcomes more quality Polish products to the Chinese market, and encourages more Chinese companies to invest in Poland, he added.

The Chinese president said that the two sides should work hard for the early launch of the China-Central and Eastern European countries (CEEC) wholesale market for agricultural products, and actively cooperate in planning and organizing relevant events to mark the 10th anniversary of China-CEEC cooperation mechanism, so as to lay a solid foundation for cooperation in the next decade.

Xi also said he hopes Poland can actively support the development of the China-Europe relationship and safeguard the overall interests of that relationship.

For his part, Duda said he is glad to have attended the opening ceremony of the Beijing Winter Olympics in China in February and held a good meeting with Xi, which he still remembers clearly and remains deeply impressed.

He said that despite the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the important consensus reached between him and the Chinese president is being implemented, adding that relevant departments on both sides maintain close communication, and cooperation in related fields is moving forward.

Poland attaches great importance to China's international status and role as well as to developing relations with China, Duda said.

The Polish side stands ready to work with the Chinese side to push for more achievements in bilateral cooperation in areas including trade and economy, logistics and inter-connectivity, and welcomes more Chinese investment in Poland, he noted.

Poland is willing to continue actively promoting CEEC-China cooperation and the development of Europe-China relations, Duda added.

The two heads of state also exchanged views on the Ukraine crisis.

(Source: Xinhua)