Duda talked to Xi about the Polish-Belarusian border. There is a reaction from the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Andrzej Duda spoke with Xi Jinping about the situation on the Polish-Belarusian border, among other things. After the meeting, the spokeswoman for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs spoke on the matter.
Andrzej Duda had already announced before his departure for China that one of the most important topics he would like to discuss during political talks is the issue of security in Europe. During his meeting with Xi Jinping, he discussed, among other things, the situation on the Polish-Belarusian border. The president recalled the case of the fatal attack on a Polish soldier, and spoke of the “escalation of actions against Poland” that could “cause our society to become more rigid on the issue of the border, as well as crossing the border.”
The Polish Press Agency asked a representative of the Chinese government whether China will take any action in this matter and try to influence the decisions of the Belarusian and Russian authorities. – The Chinese side hopes that both sides will treat each other with respect and solve the problem through consultations to avoid an escalation of tensions – Mao Ning, spokeswoman for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, replied to PAP.
China abolishes visas for Poles
– I have a deep feeling that this visit contributes to further building relations between Poland and China. I hope that these relations will also be built in the future. Mr. President, I hope that they will always be based on common ideals, because they have been based on a community of ideals and also well-understood interests for 75 years – said Andrzej Duda after meeting with the leader of China. The president emphasized that these are good diplomatic, political and interpersonal relations, based on mutual respect.
After talks with Andrzej Duda, Xi Jinping also declared that visas to China would be abolished for Poles. “Anyone who wants to come for up to 15 days, primarily for tourist or economic or business purposes, will be able to come without visas. These procedures have already been launched, so I think we can expect that visa-free travel will become a fact in the coming days,” the Polish president said in a conversation with journalists.
The authorities in Beijing emphasized in an official statement that the visa-free program aims to stimulate tourism after the pandemic and strengthen international ties.