On October 23, 2008, Chinese President Hu Jintao met at the Great Hall of the People with Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk who is here to pay an official visit to China and to attend the seventh Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) summit to be held Oct. 24-25.

Hu said Sino-Polish relations had steadily developed since they forged diplomatic ties more than half a century ago. The two countries had enjoyed close political contacts, sound trade relations and fruitful cooperation on culture, education, science and technology as well as good coordination in dealing with the international affairs since they became friendly and cooperative partners in 2004 in particular, Hu said. The year of 2009 will be the 60th anniversary of Sino-Polish ties and a milestone in the bilateral ties, said Hu. He said China will take the chance to push forward the relationship based on mutual respect, equality and reciprocity.

Hu also noted that economic cooperation between China and Poland would have a sound basis as well as a prosperous future, and that China would encourage cooperation in the traditional areas such as environmental protection, finance, agricultural technology, copper industry and coal mining, as well as in those new areas like high-tech industry, clean energy, labor service and infrastructure so as to push bilateral economic and trade cooperation to a new level.

Tusk said during his current visit he has witnessed in person China’s great achievements in national development. Poland respected the way China had chosen and was ready to gain a better understanding of China’s policy positions in many aspects. He believed China could play a bigger role in building a more balanced international new order. The two countries and the world had changed greatly since China and Poland established diplomatic ties 60 years ago, but the friendship of the two peoples, based on mutual respect, remained unchanged, he said. Tusk voiced his hope to cooperate with China on trade, culture and science and technology. He also said Poland would contribute to promoting relations between China and the European Union.

State Councilor Dai Bingguo attended the meeting.