Xi calls for joint development effort

Xi's state visit to the Czech Republic in March has achieved fruitful outcomes, prompting many other countries in Central and Eastern Europe, including Poland, to develop closer ties with China, Wang said.

Sun Yuxi, former Chinese ambassador to Poland, said that countries in Central and Eastern Europe have worked with China on a number of major projects including the bridge across the Danube in Belgrade, which has improved the region's infrastructure.

The Central and Eastern Europe region now faces the task to upgrade its transportation, electricity and other infrastructure as well as industrial equipment, while China is strong in construction capacity and supporting services and can meet the environmental standards in the region, said Chen Xin, a researcher with the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.

Last November, Polish President Andrzej Duda paid a state visit to China, during which Xi announced that China would explore a new logistics corridor to reach Central and Eastern Europe through Poland.

Beata Stoczynska, deputy director of Asian and Pacific Department of the Polish Foreign Affairs Ministry, said at a forum on Poland's role within the Belt and Road Initiative in late May that Poland expects stable relations with China in areas including cooperation within the "16+1" China-CEE formula, and within China-EU cooperation.

Contact the writers at anbaijie@chinadaily.com.cn and lixiaokun@chinadaily.com.cn