WARSAW, Jan 18 (Reuters) – Poland’s President Andrzej Duda will attend the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics and meet Chinese President Xi Jinping, a top aide confirmed to Reuters on Tuesday, as a number of Western countries call for a diplomatic boycott of the Games.
A U.S. boycott to protest against China’s human rights record has been joined by Australia, Britain, Canada, and Japan.
“Poland is a sovereign nation and decides its own politics towards China. … Poland is an ally of the United States but Poland also has a very friendly relationship with China,” Duda’s foreign affairs advisor Jakub Kumoch told Reuters.
Officials have told Reuters that, as Poland’s relationship with the United States has worsened under President Joe Biden’s administration, it’s no longer in Poland’s interests to continue criticizing China simply to please the Americans.
The Polish president’s relationship with China has been positive recently, with him making a surprise appearance at the 17+1 summit with China as other central European nations sent lower-ranking officials. Duda has said Poland plans to take advantage of its geographical location to boost its role in trade between Europe and China.
Poland’s state news agency PAP first reported on Duda’s plan to attend the Olympic Games in Beijing.
The Netherlands and Denmark have also pledged to join a diplomatic boycott of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics. read more
China denies rights abuses and has condemned the boycott as betraying Olympic principles.
Its shocking that Poland would just look past the concentration camps in China considering Polands history.
I don’t see this as a bad thing. We need good relations with China, especially now when Russia is getting crazy.
Some Duda spines (Lex TVN), sometimes he despines (pretty much everything else).
Be hella funny if he somehow offended Pooh and went camping for it.
Polish politics mantra can be described by one word: kurwa
He’s not gonna miss any free flight to an exotic location.
[removed]
I see it as a good thing that the government is starting to break the leash of being US lapdog.
[removed]
Hopefully he will go as a passenger on a regular flight, no more special Polish presidential flights this time…
US: Ok then, we can be friend with Russia and we together against China.
I mean selling East Europe like Ukraine for China is really a good deal, and Russia and the US can separate China like what they did to Germany after WW2, Russia gets unfrozen military winter seaports to pacific ocean and the US get military base in South China to control ASEAN countries, sounds nice for them, isn’t it?
The biggest fan of skiing ever.
Good, Poland needs a multi-vector approach to geopolitics. We have no horse in that race. You can’t go all out on China or USA just to find yourself in the world dominated by one you didn’t align with. I think Lithuania made a mistake. China has a really good shot at hegemony. Sooner or later.
Hope we get out of Europe ASAP. Non of these countries, eastern or western, want to help in the conflict that truly matters. Against china.
16 comments
WARSAW, Jan 18 (Reuters) – Poland’s President Andrzej Duda will attend the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics and meet Chinese President Xi Jinping, a top aide confirmed to Reuters on Tuesday, as a number of Western countries call for a diplomatic boycott of the Games.
A U.S. boycott to protest against China’s human rights record has been joined by Australia, Britain, Canada, and Japan.
“Poland is a sovereign nation and decides its own politics towards China. … Poland is an ally of the United States but Poland also has a very friendly relationship with China,” Duda’s foreign affairs advisor Jakub Kumoch told Reuters.
Officials have told Reuters that, as Poland’s relationship with the United States has worsened under President Joe Biden’s administration, it’s no longer in Poland’s interests to continue criticizing China simply to please the Americans.
The Polish president’s relationship with China has been positive recently, with him making a surprise appearance at the 17+1 summit with China as other central European nations sent lower-ranking officials. Duda has said Poland plans to take advantage of its geographical location to boost its role in trade between Europe and China.
Poland’s state news agency PAP first reported on Duda’s plan to attend the Olympic Games in Beijing.
The Netherlands and Denmark have also pledged to join a diplomatic boycott of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics. read more
China denies rights abuses and has condemned the boycott as betraying Olympic principles.
Its shocking that Poland would just look past the concentration camps in China considering Polands history.
I don’t see this as a bad thing. We need good relations with China, especially now when Russia is getting crazy.
Some Duda spines (Lex TVN), sometimes he despines (pretty much everything else).
Be hella funny if he somehow offended Pooh and went camping for it.
Polish politics mantra can be described by one word: kurwa
He’s not gonna miss any free flight to an exotic location.
[removed]
I see it as a good thing that the government is starting to break the leash of being US lapdog.
[removed]
Hopefully he will go as a passenger on a regular flight, no more special Polish presidential flights this time…
US: Ok then, we can be friend with Russia and we together against China.
I mean selling East Europe like Ukraine for China is really a good deal, and Russia and the US can separate China like what they did to Germany after WW2, Russia gets unfrozen military winter seaports to pacific ocean and the US get military base in South China to control ASEAN countries, sounds nice for them, isn’t it?
The biggest fan of skiing ever.
Good, Poland needs a multi-vector approach to geopolitics. We have no horse in that race. You can’t go all out on China or USA just to find yourself in the world dominated by one you didn’t align with. I think Lithuania made a mistake. China has a really good shot at hegemony. Sooner or later.
Hope we get out of Europe ASAP. Non of these countries, eastern or western, want to help in the conflict that truly matters. Against china.
National interest