Poland looks to attract more investments from China

Poland held a meeting on Monday in an effort to present new opportunities for cooperation between Polish and Chinese companies in establishing business contacts.

Slawomir Majman, chairman of the Polish Information and Foreign Investment Agency (PAIiIZ), underlined that Chinese investments in Poland are still minimal, because Poland focuses too much on western investors.

"We need new sources of investment. If we have to look for the capital around the world, we should look for it in China," he said.

Majman informed that at this moment, Chinese investments represent 0.25 percent of all foreign investments in Poland, which is not much.

He added he wished for more Chinese activity in Poland in the areas of information technology and telecommunications, scientific research centers, food industry and food processing.

As far as the Polish export is concerned, Majman believed that due to Polish limited powers and resources, Poland should focus on its most developed industries, such as food processing, equipment and technologies for mining or equipment and technologies for better functioning of the big cities, such as environmental protection.

Professor Jin Yu, Managing Director of China Regional Development & Reform Institute, stressed at the conference that Poland is a very important partner for China.

"This is one of the first countries to officially established diplomatic relations with China. And it was the Polish company to establish the first joint ventures in China," he said.

Yu Jin pointed out that the year 2014 sees the 65th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries, expressing hope for increasing cooperation in the fields of tourism and culture between both countries.

The conference held in Warsaw was a platform for business match-making, exchange of information, gaining or updating knowledge about market opportunities, legal environment and administrative frameworks of doing business in China.

Representatives of the government of Poland, governmental agencies, Chinese companies and financial institutions participated in the event.