We must work together to move forward, [Shangguan Live] Polish President visits Fudan: Don’t waste every minute
For Fudan University student Liu Yulong, the results of China-Poland friendship are visible to the naked eye. As a flagship project of the two countries' joint construction of the "Belt and Road Initiative", the China-Europe Express departs from his hometown in the Pearl River Delta, travels westward through the Polish plains, and then sails to the heart of Europe, bringing European goods to him across thousands of miles.
Poland is one of the first countries to recognize and establish diplomatic relations with the People's Republic of China. This year marks the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries. Yesterday morning, Polish President Andrzej Duda, who visited China for the second time, came to Fudan University to give a speech, telling teachers and students "Don't waste every minute, we must cooperate to move forward."
Poland is an ancient country of science and art. Poland has close relations with Shanghai. The Polish Consulate General in Shanghai is the first foreign consulate established in Shanghai after the founding of the People's Republic of China. After Shanghai and the Polish Pomeranian Province became sister cities, cooperation in the fields of economy, trade, culture, education and other fields has achieved fruitful results. All sectors expect that the President's visit to Shanghai will further deepen the China-Poland comprehensive strategic partnership and push the China-Poland friendship ship forward at full speed.
The Polish president's speech was scheduled in Yuan Tianfan Lecture Hall on the first floor of Guanghua Building. The red background board was printed with "Warmly welcome His Excellency Andrzej Duda, President of the Republic of Poland, to visit Fudan University" in both Chinese and Polish, and a set of Chinese and Polish national flags were placed on each side.
"Like China, Poland was once a very poor country. Today, China's economic development has allowed it to once again rank among the world's leading economies, and Poland's economic transformation has made us more prosperous than at any time in history," Andrzej Duda told the more than 100 teachers and students in the audience, "China and Poland have similar economic development trends, both with strong growth rates. Congratulations to China."
Cooperation and exchange were the key words in the president's speech. Before coming to Fudan, he attended the "Poland-China Economic and Trade Investment Forum" at the Peninsula Hotel and delivered a keynote speech. A business delegation consisting of 16 Polish companies met with Chinese companies on the spot. Since 2005, Poland has been China's largest trading partner in Central and Eastern Europe. Shanghai and Poland maintain close economic relations. In the past six years, a total of 255 Polish companies have appeared at the CIIE booth.
"Whether it's day or night, watching the ships coming and going on the Huangpu River shows China's rapid development and makes me realize that the world is making progress. We should not waste every minute and we must work together to move forward." Duda went on to say, "Both Poles and Chinese believe that there is nothing that cannot be accomplished."
The story of the ship touched Magdalena Zhukovska, the Consul General of Poland in Shanghai. The Sino-Polish Steamship Company, founded in 1951, was the first Sino-foreign joint venture in New China and was also a stop on the president's visit to Shanghai. "Poland has always hoped to boost its industrial development by leveraging its transit economy advantages. Currently, Poland's investment in Shanghai is concentrated in the agricultural and sideline products and cosmetics industries. We look forward to deeper cooperation between the company and Chinese companies."
China-Poland cooperation is not limited to the economic and trade fields. As early as 1957, a Polish higher education delegation visited Fudan University, and Polish students studied in Fudan in 1986. Duda received a gift from Qiu Xin, secretary of the Party Committee of Fudan University - the English version of "History of Chinese Thought" written by Professor Ge Zhaoguang, published by Brill Publishing House in the Netherlands, which introduced the knowledge, thoughts and beliefs of ancient China to the Western society.
"We have established a relatively close cooperative relationship with Polish universities. Currently, we are discussing the signing of a memorandum of understanding on inter-school cooperation with the University of Warsaw, and look forward to establishing and consolidating partnerships with more top Polish universities," said Qiu Xin.
Duda said, "Congratulations on the 120th anniversary of Fudan University and wish the friendship between Poland and China will last forever."
Zhang Yiyi, a graduate student at Fudan University, who was sitting in the audience, still treasures a Polish badge that was given to him by a young Polish reporter when he was a volunteer for the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics. At that time, Duda flew to Beijing to attend the opening ceremony of the Winter Olympics.
"The world has undergone tremendous changes, and young people change with the world. This is the characteristic of young people. I don't fully understand young people, but I respect them and believe that you are capable of taking on future challenges." Duda hopes that young people from both countries can continue to work hard for the development of Polish and Chinese society. "Older people and I are looking forward to your contribution."
Zhang Yiyi, who studies European history, told reporters that she hopes to have the opportunity to go to the Institute of International Relations of the University of Warsaw for exchange studies and conduct more in-depth academic and cultural exchanges with Polish youth, so that young people from China and Europe can understand each other's culture and establish sincere friendship.
When answering questions from students about how they view artificial intelligence, Duda first made a joke: "Artificial intelligence is changing our lives, but students, please don't use it when doing homework." He went on to say that artificial intelligence will help promote economic development, but it will also be the biggest challenge in the future and must be used with caution. "People are the most suitable people to manage the country and decide its destiny."
Liu Yuling, a female student from the Department of Mathematics at Fudan University, felt deeply that "artificial intelligence is an issue that the world urgently needs to solve through cooperation. By strengthening academic exchanges and cooperative projects, we can share knowledge and exchange ideas with the world, and strengthen cooperation in mathematical application fields such as data analysis and optimization control. Mathematics is a universal language that can transcend cultural barriers. I hope to establish connections online and offline with Polish youth who also love mathematics."
Although she was unable to attend the event, Zhao Zhen, a Polish language teacher at Shanghai International Studies University, followed the president's visit closely. "I gave a lecture on Chinese literature in Poland, and the Polish audience was very enthusiastic. Similarly, I gave a lecture on Polish culture and art in Shanghai, and the Chinese audience was also very interested." She believes that the people of the two countries, especially the young people, are interested in understanding each other. "After China implements unilateral visa exemption for Polish citizens for 15 days, people-to-people exchanges will be closer and friendship will be further advanced."
"I have always told my family and friends in Poland that 80% of the daily life in the two countries is similar. Everyone has to work hard and want a better life." Zheng Minhao, a Polish student and a first-year graduate student in the Chinese Department of Fudan University, speaks fluent Chinese. "Poland and China have never had conflicts in history. The similarities between Poland and China far outweigh the differences."
He also told reporters that he would continue to study for a doctorate in the future, "because I love the Chinese language and culture. It has become a part of my life. I hope to promote it to Poland and Europe."
