Strengthening People-to-people Bond to Pursue Cooperation and Development

?

Strengthening People-to-people Bond to Pursue Cooperation and Development

--Some highlights of a CPAPD delegation’s Visits to Poland, Latvia and Hungary

By Wang Qing, CPAPD

In the beautiful golden autumn, at the invitation of Polish Senate, Latvian Parliament and the National Assembly of Hungary, Ma Biao, Vice Chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) and Vice President of the Chinese People’s Association for Peace and Disarmament (CPAPD) headed a CPAPD delegation on a good-will visit to Poland, Latvia and Hungary as from September 4 to 13, 2017. It is an important visit to CEE countries after the fifth China-CEE Countries Leadership Summit and is a visit of significance in enhancing political mutual trust, seeking common development, strengthening people-to-people bond and deepening friendship between people of China and those of three countries.

These three countries are rich in history and unique in natural scenery. The delegation always receives warm welcome from European people during the stay and the visit is in friendly atmosphere. During the visit, Mr. Ma Biao held wide-ranging discussions with parliamentary leaders and non-governmental friends and made an extensive briefing on the new governance concept, thought and strategy formed by CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping as the core, which has won great recognition. It is a big step forward on the road of “working for win-win cooperation and shared development” between China and these three countries.

Strengthening friendship and political mutual trust

The delegation could feel amity and enthusiasm of Polish people.“Welcome to Poland”, Speaker of the Senate Stanis?aw Karczewski and Deputy Speaker Michal Sewerynski with open arms welcome the delegation. According to Mr. Karczewski, Poland always attaches great importance to its friendly relation with China. They feel happy for and admire economic and social progress that China has made, and expect to maintain the momentum of frequent high-level contacts to boost bilateral relations. Mr. Ma Biao said that it had witnessed the traditional friendship between the two countries and China stays ready to deepen mutually beneficial cooperation all-dimensionally and to enrich comprehensive strategic partnership with Poland.

In the evening of September 7, the delegation reached Riga, Latvia. National flags of two countries were flying in the airport. On the next day, Mr. Ma Biao respectively met with Deputy Speaker of the Parliament Mr.Gundars Daudze and Vice Chairman of LatvianCommittee of Parliament Assembly of Council of Europe Andris Bērzi??. Daudze warmly recalled recent development of bilateral relations. He believed that the visit would further deepen Latvian-China friendship and political mutual trust. Latvia has firmly upheld “On China” policy and regarded China as a reliable and important cooperation partner. According to Bērzi??, though two countries are different in social systems, the Chinese great progress and development are obvious to all and he has full reason to believe that the Chinese Dream of national rejuvenation surely can be realized under the leadership of CPC. Mr. Ma Biao said that Latvia was an important partner of China in the Baltic Sea and in the CEE and European Union; China stays ready to work together with Latvia to create better future based on mutual respect and equality.

In the evening of September 9, the delegation reached Budapest, the last stop. Blue Danube passes through the city, seemingly linking the ancient with modern times as well as the East with the West. Mr. Ma Biao respectively met with Executive Vice Chairman of the Parliament Ms. Matrai Marta and Ms.Nemeth Zsolr,President of Foreign Council in Parliament. Ms. Matrai spoke highly of rapid economic and social progress in China and introduced proudly that Hungary was the first country that had publishedin native language. Hungarian leaders got many inspirations from the book and expected to “roll up our sleeves and work with added energy” as President Xi had proposed. According to Nemeth, based on traditional friendship, the bilateral political mutual trust has reached a high level, and the consensus of deepening bilateral relations has been reached among different parties within the Parliament. Mr. Ma Biao said that China regards Hungary as good friend and an important partner in EU; China is ready to work together with Hungary to promote friendly cooperation between two countries to a new level.

Promoting pragmatic cooperation and working for common prosperity

As an old Chinese goes, “nothing, not even mountains and oceans, can separate people with shared goals and vision”. The Belt and Road Initiative provides greater space for China-CEE cooperation. Poland is the first country that has held China-CEE Countries Leadership Summit and has played a leading role in 16+1 cooperation mechanism under the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative. The fifth China-CEE Countries Leadership Summit was held in Latvia in 2016 and Latvia means special for the Initiative to be spread in Europe. Hungary is a frontrunner of China-CEE countries cooperation, the first country that has signed inter-governmental cooperation documents with China to boost the Belt and Road construction and the first country that has established and started the Belt and Road working group mechanism.

Mr. Grzegorz Czelej, Chairman of Poland-China Friendship Group in Senate remarked that the Belt and Road Initiative has attracted wide attention in Poland and aroused hot discussions on how to participate in it. Poland is planning to modernize its railway and take full use of Rhodes - Chengdu trains to better promote logistics, economic and trade cooperation with China. Mr. Ma Biao stated warmly on polish initiative in taking part in the Belt and Road cooperation, since China would like to work with Poland to make the platform a better and stronger one, thus bringing more benefits to our two peoples.

During the visit in Latvia, friends positively reviewed Chinese investment programs in Latvia and expressed wishes of utilizing harbor advantages to improve transshipment efficiency for China to realize win-win results. Latvian side expects to broaden cooperation and communication in terms of culture, education, sport, etc. Mr. Ma Biao stressed that China is willing to further integrate its development strategy with Latvia and make the "cake" of development bigger to achieve mutually beneficial win-win results.

During the visit in Hungary, the friends stated that Hungary has become the most popular place attracting Chinese investment among CEE countries and the number of overseas Chinese in Hungary ranked first in CEE countries. Bilateral trade volume has grown steadily, and Hungarian export to China increased by 31% in the first half of 2017. More and more Chinese companies come to invest in Hungary, making great contributions to the economic growth of Hungary accordingly. Hungary would offer full support to 16+1 cooperation mechanism, wishing to play a more important role in it. Mr. Ma Biao said that Hungarian "opening to the East" policy is highly consistent with China's "Belt and Road" Initiative, and the comprehensive and in-depth cooperation of all aspects between two counties are moving toward a high level.

Strengthening people-to-people bond to lay solid foundation for cooperation

The key to sound relations between states lies in amity between their peoples. Public support is of great significance and people-to-people bond serves as solid foundation for national relations. With development of the Belt and Road Initiative, China and the three countries are moving closer toward each other while people-to-people exchanges become frequent and mutual understanding deepened.

Warsaw has a history of about 800 years but was unfortunately destroyed during World War II and was reconstructed from scratch based on its original look after the war and again becomes a beautiful city at present. In the morning of September 4, the 2017 Commemoration of the International Day of Peace was co-organized by the Poland House Civic Association and the CPAPD in Warsaw. The Activity was themed by “Chinese and Polish People Long for Sustainable Peace and Development”. In his speech, Mr. Ma Biao emphasized that peace and development are still the themes of the times and it is widespread trend to boost win-win cooperation. Facing rising global challenges, Chinese and Polish peoples shall work as builders for peace and stability, contributors to win-win cooperation, promoters for global governance and messengers for exchanges and mutual learning among civilizations, in order to develop a community of shared future for mankind. The former Polish Speaker Mr. Pastusiak praised CPAPD’s effort in strengthening mutual understanding, cooperation and friendship between the Chinese people and peoples across the world by holding Commemoration of the International Day of Peace and spreading Chinese people’s wishes for peace. Mr. An Yuejun, Secretary General of the CPAPD and Mr. Wies?aw Klimczak, President of the Poland House respectively delivered speeches.

The delegation also paid a visit to a southern town Auschwitz Concentrated Camp, constructed by Nazis during the World War II. A series of inhumane war crimes were committed and over 4 million Jews lives were taken here from 1940 to 1945. Nowadays, Auschwitz has become a place to remember those who died. It is a way to cherish peace and oppose war by remembering what had happened during wartime. Deeply touched after the visit, Mr. Ma Biao wrote down “Remember history and cherish peace” on the visitors album. Prejudice, bias, hatred and wars would only bring about disasters and sufferings to people. We can only achieve peaceful development and common prosperity through mutual respect and treat each other as equals.

During the visit in Latvia, the delegation held a seminar with the Latvian Institute of International Affairs. According to the Institute Director, the Institute cherished this good opportunity and would like to develop friendly relations and cooperation together with the CPAPD.

Hungarian-Chinese Bilingual Primary School is the only public school to use Hungarian and Chinese as teaching languages. In the afternoon of September 11th, the delegation was warmly received by Principal Ms. Erdélyi Zsuzsanna and lovely children, “Welcome” in Chinese and waving the two national flags by boys and girls. The school is such a cradle of cultural integration between the East and the West. Just as Ms. Erdélyi remarked, children symbolizes future and hope, and languages are important tools for communication and cultural exchanges. Teaching Chinese characters in details shows how Chinese culture becomes rooted and flourished in Hungary. Mr. Ma Biao said that Hungary is a unique country of cultural connection between the East and the West and Chinese people thus feel that they are very closed to each other. Based on years’ of cultural exchanges, we hope friendship between our two countries to last forever.

Standing on the threshold for a new era, China stays ready to continuously work with these three counties and provide wisdom for common development and shared prosperity from ancient civilization, so as to strengthen cultural exchanges and usher in a new chapter of building a community of shared future for mankind.