During a meeting with the Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Areas, Qu Dongyu, the Deputy Minister asked for supporting Polish actions focused on access of Polish agri-food products to the Chinese market. Bearing in mind that Polish-Chinese trade did not reflect the possibilities of both countries and the level of contacts (in 2016, the Polish-Chinese relations were raised to the level of a comprehensive strategic partnership), the Secretary of State asked for support on the part of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development as regards the Polish efforts to accelerate the procedures approving Polish agri-food products for export to the Chinese market. The Chinese Deputy Minister expressed his hope of developing trade relations with Poland, while stressing that one of the elements important for the Chinese operators was a possibility of guaranteeing the continuity of supplies and establishing the Polish brand.
Opening of the Polish national stand at the SIAL China 2018 trade fair
In addition to the talks in Beijing, the Secretary of State visited the SIAL China trade fair in Shanghai, where the Polish operators presented their products at the national stand organised by the National Agricultural Support Centre and on the stands of the Polish Chamber of Milk, National Poultry Council as well as individual exhibitors.
The partner region of this year’s edition of the SIAL China trade fair was the European Union, and the guest of honour at the fair was the Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development, Phil Hogan. The Secretary of State, together with the EU Commissioner, visited the Polish national stand and the stand of the National Poultry Council. The Polish operators participating in the fair represented, inter alia, the sectors of meat, dairy products, fruit and vegetables, sweets, beverages. The visitors had an opportunity to learn the variety of Polish agri-food products.
In Shanghai, the meetings with the local administration officials were held. During the talks with the Inspector for Agriculture at the Shanghai Municipal Agricultural Commission, the Polish party asked for supporting the Polish efforts in obtaining greater access to the Chinese market for Polish agri-food products.
There was also a meeting with the Vice-President of the Shanghai People’s Congress, Sha Hai Lin, who was one of the guests at the reception organised by the Polish Consulate in Shanghai to celebrate the anniversary of the Constitution of 3 May.
In March 2018, the central administration in China was reformed, which also applied to the entities of the Chinese Ministry of Agriculture. The visit was a good opportunity to talk with the management of the newly established institutions. The competence of the Chinese Ministry of Agriculture has been extended, inter alia, by investment and land reclamation issues. The Ministry was renamed the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Areas. The General Administration of Customs took over some tasks of the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine of the People’s Republic of China (AQSIQ), while the Certification and Accreditation Administration of the People’s Republic of China (CNCA) was incorporated into the structure of the State Market Regulatory Administration.