POLISH POLITICAL SCIENCE VOL XL 2011 PL ISSN 0208-7375 VARIA 52 Years of the Existence of the Polish-Chinese Friendship Association by Zdzisław Góralczyk e victory of Chinese communists worth mentioning that this fact was gener- over the Kuomintang, backed by the United ally well received by the Polish society of States, in the Chinese Civil War, which the 1950s. resulted in the foundation of the People’s Poland also began to develop compre- Republic of China on October 1, 1949, was hensive relations with China on the level the most signifi cant international event of parties, state and government institu- a er the Second World War. It reverberated tions, business (especially trade and sea not only through the whole world, but also transport), culture and sport. A number of around Poland. 1 e People’s Republic of personal relations were also set up. 2 As the Poland broke diplomatic relations with the People’s Republic of China was politically Kuomintang government of the Republic and diplomatically isolated by the USA and of China in August 1949. It was the seventh Western countries, the fact that it could country of the world to recognize the People’s Republic of China on October 5, 2 is cooperation and numerous personal 1949, and, two days later, Poland and China contacts in many fi elds were widely described in the reestablished diplomatic relations. It is essays by L. Cyrzyk, U zarania Towarzystwa Przy- jaźni Polsko-Chińskiej and Jak rodziła się polonisty- ka w Chinach , “Azja-Pacyfi k” 2008. Close economic, 1 e People’s Republic of Poland offi cially dec- scientifi c and cultural cooperation, as well as the lared that it was a great victory of le ist forces and resulting personal Polish-Chinese contacts until the the fundamental enlargement and reinforcement Cultural Revolution, were also presented by Marian of “the socialist camp led by the Soviet Union in Kałuski, a Polish historian living in Australia, in his the battle against the expansion of American im- monograph Polacy w Chinach , Instytut Wydawniczy perialism.” PAX, Warszawa 2004, pp. 31 – 35. 350 Varia cooperate with socialist countries (called It is worth mentioning that in Poland, states of people’s democracy at the time) this company is also presently believed to was of enormous political and economic have been the pioneer and the symbol of importance for this newly established the effective and amicable economic country (the USSR and other states of cooperation between both countries and people’s democracy, including Poland, nations in the area of international sea helped China to develop its industry, sci- transport. ence and technology). e fi rst Club of the Polish-Chinese Under the agreement between the Friendship Association was established in governments of both countries, the Chi- 1975 in Gdansk, on the social initiative of nese-Polish Joint Stock Shipping Company the employees and directors of the ship was founded on June 15, 1951 (for the sake operating and forwarding companies from of camoufl age it was fi rst called the Chi- Tri-City which cooperated with the People’s nese-Polish Shipping Brokers’ Company Republic of China, especially the Chinese- Chipolbrok). e reason for that was the Polish Joint Stock Shipping Company fact that the Chinese coast was blockaded Chipolbrok, Polish Ocean Lines and C. by the US and the navy of the Kuomintang Hartwig, a forwarding company. On May government of Chiang Kai Shek, who, 17, 1958, the founding national convention having suff ered a defeat in the Civil War of the Polish-Chinese Friendship Associa- in November of 1949, fl ed from mainland tion ( e TPPCh – Towarzystwo Przyjaźni China to the island of Taiwan. Polsko-Chińskiej ) was held in Warsaw. e In a letter of congratulations sent to decision to establish the TPPCh on the the Shipping Company on June 20, 2001, national level was undoubtedly of a politi- on the occasion of its 50 th anniversary, the cal nature, which was refl ected by the fact then Prime Minister of China Zhu Jongji that Stefan Jędrychowski, a member of the noted that it was “the fi rst foreign-capital Political Offi ce of the Central Committee enterprise established in the People’s of the Polish United Workers’ Party, was Republic of China (…). Within 50 years of appointed chairman of the Association, its operations, not only did it contribute to and Juliusz Burgin, the then chairman of the development of sea transport of China “Książka i Wiedza” Publishing House and Poland, but it also promoted the (former Polish ambassador in China), was economic and trade collaboration, and elected secretary general. at decision of fostered friendly relations between both Polish authorities was linked with the nations.” 3 Chinese government’s critical stance and protest against the planned Soviet military 3 e archives of the author and Chipolbrok. intervention in response to the develop- Varia 351 ments in Poland in October 1956. anks democracy), but also with many capitalist to this, Warsaw escaped the fate of Buda- countries and so called ird World coun- pest. 4 We can also agree with the opinion tries (in Poland, in the peak period their that the idea of Polish-Chinese rapproche- number far exceeded one hundred). ment, irrespective of our society’s friendly It must be emphasized that the TPPCh, attitude towards the Chinese way of build- which many people associate with the ing socialism, diff erent from the Stalinist Polish-Soviet Friendship Association model, coincided with the atmosphere of (registered as “the association of high thaw and revival of the Polish October public usefulness” and used by the govern- 1956, and with the declaration of a new ment of the People’s Republic of Poland as policy in China: “Let a hundred fl owers a tool for promoting and intensifying bloom, let a hundred schools of thought Polish-Soviet friendship, it even had its contend.” 5 own banner), actually only received the In the 1950s, apart from the Polish- status of a “legal entity” and its operations Soviet Friendship Association, which was were similar to those of numerous bilateral the best known organization of this type Friendship Associations with other coun- and the one most strongly supported by tries, which were founded at the time. Polish communist authorities, a number In order to accomplish its statutory of other bilateral Friendship Associations goals and tasks, the TPPCh pursued were founded. ey promoted friendly “activities that were typical of all associa- relations not only with socialist countries tions, such as lectures, movie shows, dis- (initially known as states of people’s cussions, exhibitions, concerts and other artistic events. It also established clubs 4 China was also against the Soviet intervention and reading rooms, developed publishing in Poland in the years 1980 – 1981. ey were clearly and media activity, helped in the cultural happy when general Wojciech Jaruzelski declared exchange between China and Poland, and martial law in Poland and the Poles resolved the cooperated with a number of public insti- confl ict in their country without the “help” of So- 6 viet, Czechoslovakian and East German military tutions and organizations.” e associa- forces. In reaction to a very diffi cult situation in tion ran the Chinese language course, the Polish food market, the Chinese government tutored by Genowefa Zduń, a graduate of decided to provide Poland with a $100 m. loan for delivering Chinese pork to Poland with very gene- Beijing University, and Hu Peifang from 7 rous terms (it was repaid within the next ten years China. with the exported Polish goods). For more details see: F. Grzegorzewski, Stosunki polsko-chińskie po 6 Ibidem, 241. 1989, „Azja-Pacyfi k” 2003, pp.135 – 136. 7 e wife of a graduate of People’s University 5 L. Cyrzyk, U zarania Towarzystwa… , in Beijing – Roman Maria Sławiński, also known pp. 238 – 245. as Irena Sławińska. 352 Varia A er the association obtained the courses, as well as a bar, which soon status of a legal entity, it entered the stage became famous among students and other of fast organizational growth, encouraged young people for its Chinese dishes, by the climate of increasing interest in off ered at relatively low prices. Chinese aff airs. e person whose contri- In China, in return, the Chinese-Polish bution to such rapid development was Friendship Association was established. particularly signifi cant was the secretary e then Chinese Minister of Arts and of the Main Board Janusz Sokołowski. Culture Shen Yanbing – who was also an Offi ces of the Main Board in Warsaw and eminent writer known under the nick- regional branches were fi nanced by the name Mao Dun – was appointed chair- state budget (just like the operations of all man. As controversies between China and Friendship Associations with other coun- the Soviet Union arose and the Polish tries). In the peak period, the Association government ultimately declared its sup- had approximately 20 thousand individual port for the Soviet side, the Association members and about one hundred institu- started to lose its status. During the Cul- tions and companies actively supported it. tural Revolution it practically ceased its It published a monthly magazine “Chiny,” operations. In the 1970s, the Chinese and later “Kontynenty,” as well as its own People’s Association for Friendship with Press Bulletin edited on the basis of the Foreign Countries was reactivated. It was service of the Xinhua News Agency. a federation of bilateral associations with e development of the Association other countries, including also the Chi- was obviously the result of favourable nese-Polish Friendship Association. Like political climate at the time, well-devel- other Chinese bilateral associations, it oped comprehensive Polish-Chinese does not recruit individual members.