From China's Central Plains to Heart of Europe - Henan and Poland's Mutual Drive

Early autumn sees a special exhibition at the Henan Museum, where visitors are transported through time by nearly a thousand Polish amber treasures. The "Gazing at Time - Polish Amber Culture and Art Exhibition," running for three months, presents a panoramic view of Baltic amber's civilizational trajectory and diverse value. The exhibition aims to build a cultural bridge between China and Poland with amber as a "time-space messenger." This follows the "Splendor of the Prosperous Age - Henan Luoyang Tang Sancai Cultural Artifacts Exhibition" held in Poland, which was also met with enthusiastic acclaim.

This represents a unique resonance between Eastern and Western civilizations, and a vivid example of the cooperation between Henan and Poland. Located in the heart of Europe, Poland has historically served as an intersection point for the ancient Silk Road and the Amber Road. A shared profound historical and cultural heritage, coupled with comparable geographical significance, has steadily brought Henan and Poland, despite their vast geographic separation, closer together.

Poland's commitment to building a Europe-wide transportation and logistics hub perfectly aligns with Henan's development as a nationally important comprehensive transportation hub. Following years of engagement and negotiations, the two regions have joined hands in railway logistics, fully releasing their strategic geographical and transit advantages. In January 2021, a train carrying 41 sets of containers from Katowice, Poland, traversed the Eurasian continent, and smoothly entered Zhengzhou. This marked the opening of the first China-Europe freight train route directly connecting China to CEECs. Consequently, high-quality products from Henan gained access to European markets, while cheese, juice, ham, and other products from Poland began gracing the tables of Henan residents.

The connectivity of international logistics has led to a comprehensive deepening of exchanges. Under the guidance of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and the China-CEECs cooperation mechanism, cooperation between Henan and Poland in such areas as economy and trade, sister city relations, education, culture and tourism has continuously borne fruit.

Henan enterprises are active across Poland, from its farmlands to it city streets. "WZ Group in Poland has 14,000 employees and 11 meat processing plants, with an annual meat product output of 280,000 metric tons and sales revenue of $280 million, making it Poland's largest integrated meat processing enterprise," said Wen Junjie, Deputy General Manager of the Foreign Trade Division of Henan Shuanghui Investment &Development Co., Ltd. He added that the company cooperates with local farmers to develop pig and broiler chicken farming, while expanding its feed industry, thus driving local agricultural development. Yu Mengsi, Poland Customer Manager for Yutong Bus Co., Ltd., stated: "Currently, Yutong has delivered 140 E-series and U-series pure electric vehicles to Poland, and their performance has been well received by clients. In the future, we will use Poland as a pivot to continue expanding into the Eastern European market."

"Poland, as an EU member state and a crucial node in Europe for the Belt and Road Initiative, has attracted us with its unique geographical location and vast market potential," said Li Wei, General Manager of Henan Victor Co., Ltd. He added that goods dispatched from Poland can reach 90% of European countries within 24 hours, which provides a solid foundation for them to develop economic and trade cooperation with Poland and expand into the European market. Today, economic and trade cooperation between Henan and Poland covers multiple fields including automobiles, food, power, and aluminum.

Likewise, Poland is optimistic about the prospects of cooperation with Henan. "Since the two provinces established sister-province ties in 2008, our relationship has been growing stronger. Henan has a large economy and extensive market, along with significant advantages in agriculture and logistics. We look forward to further consolidating our friendship with Henan and actively pursuing deeper collaboration," said Jarosław Stawiarski, Marshal of Lublin Province, Poland, who made these comments during an exclusive interview with our reporter after specially traveling to Henan in 2023 to attend the Second "Belt and Road" (Henan) International Agricultural Cooperation Expo.

Lublin Province is Henan's only sister province in Poland. In recent years, there have been frequent government exchanges and visits between the two sides, and multiple industry matchmaking and cultural exchange events have been held. In 2020, Henan donated 50,000 masks and 10,000 sets of protective clothing to Lublin Province to help its fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. "Help during difficult times further proves that Henan Province is a trustworthy friend," said Izabella Szczepan-Kowalczyk, then Director of the International Cooperation Department of the Marshal's Office of the Lubelskie Voivodeship.

Genuine connections lays the groundwork for lasting friendships. From China's central plains to the heart of Europe, encounters across mountains and seas continue to unfold, weaving an ongoing narrative of mutual drive. (By Shen Jianqi, Wang Ge)