Poland and China
Poland is still trying to navigate geopolitically and is having problems with relationships within the EU due to its stance against woke politics, its anti-immigration views and its defense of Catholicism. Poland has also been in disputes with the EU related to sweeping reforms of the judicial system, including restructuring courts, shortening mandates of sitting judges, giving politicians more influence over judicial appointments, and creating a disciplinary chamber for judges. EU institutions, including European Commission and Court of Justice of the European Union (ECJ), contend these reforms undermined judicial independence, undermined the separation of powers, and threatened the principle that national courts must remain impartial and free from political control.
Poland is to some extent a country built on hate. This is likely due to its geographical positioning between Germany and Russia and its history. It used to be a mix of nationalities before the WWII with Poles making up roughly two-thirds, while significant minorities included Ukrainians, Jews, Belarusians and Germans. After the borders were moved after WWII and the Germans exiled and the Jews killed or gone, Poland has become one of the most homogenous countries in the world. The hate remains though, nowadays again Russia. This is nothing new and not related to Ukraine, historically Poland has a strong hatred against Russia, maybe second only to Great Britain. This results in Poland constantly seeking new paths, and new trading partners.
In September 2025, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi visited Poland and met with Polish Deputy Prime Minister & Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski, the first such high-level visit in six years. During this visit they co-chaired the 4th session of the Poland–China Intergovernmental Committee.
At the same time, Poland’s president Karol Nawrocki publicly pledged to deepen cooperation with China, praising traditional friendship and signaling readiness to expand cooperation politically, economically, culturally and in people-to-people exchanges.
The two sides agreed to widen cooperation across many spheres: trade, investment, logistics, agriculture, electromobility / new-energy vehicles, tourism, cultural exchange, and more. They also reaffirmed support for a multilateral international order under the UN and WTO framework. This marks a reinvigoration of bilateral ties after several tricky years, signaling that both Warsaw and Beijing see strategic value in renewing engagement, despite larger geopolitical headwinds.
While economic and political cooperation remains on the table, Warsaw is balancing ties to Beijing with security concerns, its commitments to the EU, and its strong anti-Russia politics, its pro-Ukraine stance. This balancing act may continue to make relations more cautious and conditional.
On November 4, 2025, the China–Poland Joint Economic Cooperation Commission held its 19th meeting in Beijing. Both sides reaffirmed commitment to deepen trade, investments, infrastructure & connectivity cooperation. China urged Poland to maintain a fair business environment for Chinese enterprises. Poland welcomed Chinese investment, especially in electromobility, logistics, and increasing Polish agricultural exports to China. For example, agriculture, including poultry and other food exports, got attention and Poland and China signed agreements easing barriers to Polish agro-food access to the Chinese market.
Additionally, China has extended a 30-day visa-free entry scheme for Polish citizens until end of 2026, a move meant to stimulate travel, tourism, and business exchanges between the countries.
In public statements, Polish leaders stress cooperation with China, but also emphasize Poland’s obligations to European security, collective EU positioning, and global governance standards. That suggests Warsaw is pursuing a delicate balancing act: seeking benefits from China while safeguarding its commitments to EU unity, Ukraine support, and regional security.
There are also signs that Poland is taking a more active role in trying to become an energy hub. The gas-regasification terminal in Świnoujście LNG Terminal has become a cornerstone and its capacity has reached ~ 8.3 billion m³/year. That terminal recently received its 400th LNG delivery. Polish authorities are already discussing additional terminals: a floating LNG (FSRU) terminal planned for Gdańsk is scheduled for around 2028, with a prospective capacity of ~ 6.1 billion m³/year. Official statements emphasize access to U.S., Qatari, Norwegian, and other suppliers rather than reliance on Russian gas. This is in line with U.S. energy strategy and becoming Europe’s choice for both gas and oil.
Despite some progress, fossil fuels (gas, coal) still dominate overall energy supply, natural gas (imported + domestic) continues to supply a substantial share of electricity and energy demand. Recent months saw high electricity prices in Poland, driven by low renewable output, gas-price increases, and emission permit costs. The transition to renewables and low-carbon energy takes time; while policies and investments are underway (e.g. offshore wind, hydrogen), many components (new terminals, pipelines, grid upgrades, hydrogen transport) are still under construction or in planning.
It might seem that the case of Poland is a case of hybris. They are taking their own path in the EU, they are blinded with hate towards Russia instead of working together and finding common grounds, they are trying to expand trade and cooperation with the unreliable and mercenary China, primarily benefitting China, and they have a vision of becoming an energy hub in Europe, driving be a desire to inflict damage on the Russian economy, but also to position themselves as a key player in Europe. This effort will take much more money than Poland has and is a long-term project with many moving parts. They will need foreign support, either from the EU or from the U.S. in order to invest required amount and have a long-term view. Regardless, the price level will drive higher energy prices in Europe and new dependencies will be created. Poland is trying to play a bigger role that they manage, and it seems that they are eventually becoming more dependent on outsiders like China, the EU and the U.S. This might turn out to be costly in the long run, but for a country with a history based on hate and poor decisions, the current path is not all that surprising.