WARSAW: Alone among his fellow European Union leaders, Poland’s president was in Beijing on Friday for the Winter Olympics opening in what his office said was a bid to maintain good ties with China and lobby for an easing of Russia-Ukraine tensions.

President Andrzej Duda is scheduled to meet with Chinese leader Xi Jinping on Sunday, his office said.

Other EU leaders have followed the United States, Britain, Australia and Canada, among others, in a stated or unstated diplomatic boycott of the Games due to China’s human rights record while allowing their athletes to compete.

Poland, which currently heads the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe, has good political relations and strong economic ties with China.

“Our position is that we want to have the best possible relations with China and we can see a similar interest on the Chinese side,” said Duda’s foreign policy adviser, Jakub Kumoch.

The Polish president has a role in shaping Poland’s foreign ties but is not the chief policy-maker.

His office said that while in Beijing Duda would also meet UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres and Inter­na­tional Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach. It said talks would include security and Russia-Ukraine tensions.

Published in Dawn, February 5th, 2022