Polish region hopes its presence at show will bring business

By Yuan Shenggao | China Daily | Updated: 2019-05-29 07:27

Pomorskie Voivodeship, a major region in Poland, expects to attract more Chinese investors and tourists, its officials said.

The region has one of the busiest ports and most-visited scenic spots in Poland.

Gdansk, the capital of the region, is the political, economical, scientific and cultural center in northern Poland, boasting more than 1,000 years of history. It's also home to 50 percent of amber-made jewelries, of which about 30 percent is exported to China, according to Slawomir Berbec, executive director of Pomorskie Voivodeship China Office. The office is a participant in the ongoing China International Fair for Trade in Services in Beijing.

Gdynia, a young city in Pomorskie Voivodeship, has many high-tech and innovative companies, suggesting a greater potential for business partnerships. The city of Sopot is known as a major hot spring spa resort, he said.

The Gdansk and Gdynia ports undertook 95 percent of maritime cargo transportation of Poland, with vessels traveling between Europe and Asia, involving Chinese cities like Shanghai, Qingdao and Shenzhen, according to the Pomorskie Volvodeship China Office.

Pomorskie Volvodeship's airport has 60 international flights that connect major European markets, apart from land and railway, it said. That's why Pomorskie Volvodeship plays an important part in connecting China with Europe, with advanced technologies and services in ocean transportation, shipping and logistics.

Berbec said the region has a close link with China. It has the only Chinese embassy in Poland besides that in Warsaw, capital of Poland. The first Sino-Polish joint venture Chinese-Polish Joint Stock Shipping was also established there in 1951. Chinese companies, such as CIMC, a major supplier of logistics and energy equipment, and telecommunications giants Huawei and ZTE, operate there.

This year is the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Poland. Government data from Poland showed Sino-Polish trade grew by 13.3 percent to reach $33.47 billion in 2018.

Artur Gradziuk, head of the economic section of the embassy of Poland in Beijing, said his country hopes to attract more Chinese investment and increase Polish exports to China in the future.