On the morning of the 15th of September, the former President of the Republic of Poland, Mr. Aleksander Kwasniewski, along with an official Polish delegation, paid a visit to Peking University. The former President’s entourage included the Polish Ambassador to China, Tadeusz Chomicki, and the former Director of the President’s Office, Ireneuse Bil. Mr. Kwasniewski and his delegation were warmly received by representatives from Peking University at the Chen Shouren International Research Center.

Acting as the host for Peking University, Assistant President Li Qiang briefly outlined Mr. Kwasniewski’s rich life experiences, and then elaborated on the ongoing cooperative relationship that exists between Peking University and the Polish universities. He went on to express his sincere hope that the universities in both countries would continue their friendly relationship, and that together they would make a lasting contribution to world peace and prosperity.

Following his introduction, former President Kwasniewski delivered a very informative speech entitled “The Future of European Integration”. He began his talk by reviewing the lengthy process of European integration that has taken place since the close of World War II. He explained that the European countries had banded together to establish a joint political and economic organization, the European Union, that was created in order to ensure the regional safety and the mutual development of its member states. He pointed out that the expansion of the European Union over the most recent decades had greatly facilitated the political and economic integration process in Europe, and that Poland had become an active participant following its political revolution. He also admitted that the future development of the EU faces many daunting challenges. On the one hand, he argued that the European Union should seek more cooperative relations with the United States, China and India, and on the other hand, that the European nations should pursue greater internal cooperation by opening up their labor markets, reconciling their regional differences, and integrating their educational systems and their cultures. He ended his talk by expressing his conviction that China was destined to be the new world center, and his fond hope that the European Union, as an established Western power, could build an even stronger partnership with China through mutual communication and cooperation.

Following his speech, former Polish President Kwasniewski answered questions from Peking University students on a variety of issues, including the ongoing Sino-Polish relationship, and the the important differences between China and India.

Translated by Zhang Shuping
Edited by Clifford