On the afternoon of November 3, 2017, Li Gang, President of CCPIT Sichuan Council, met with a delegation headed by Witold Stepien, Governor of Lodz Province, Poland, coming to Chengdu for participating in the opening ceremony of the "2017 Poland Lodz Food and Culture Festival-Chengdu Stop".

President Li Gang welcomed Governor Stepien and his group, and expressedhis congratulation on the successful holding of "Lodz Food and Culture Festival" opening ceremony in Chengdu. He said that Sichuan attached great importance to developing economic and trade cooperation with Poland. In 2016, Sichuan and Poland transacted an import/export volume of USD 192 million, and in the first quarter of 2017, it reached USD 200 million, a large increase rate. He also said that there was great potential for cooperation between Sichuan and Poland, and they had achieved substantial results in many areas.Sichuan's export to Poland mainly includes color TV sets, lighting devices, spare parts & accessories, clothes, medicine, automated data processing devices and accessories; Sichuan's import from Poland mainly includes automobile parts and accessories, on-off electric circuit devices and parts, calibration analysis automatic control instrument & tools, and plastic products.From the import/export data, there is plenty of room for economic and trade cooperation between Sichuan and Poland.

President Li Gang later introduced CCPIT Sichuan Council's cooperation with Polish Embassy in China and other related institutes, which could be traced all the way back in the 2008 WCIF. Economic and trade cooperation between Sichuan and Lodz has been strengthened after they set up the sister-province relation. He mentioned that CCPIT Sichuan Council had organized various events for business exchange with Poland, including organizing enterprises delegations to visit Poland. Regarding the "Lodz-Sichuan Food Enterprises Seminar" ended this the morning, Li Gang said Sichuan Council organized a total of 13 enterprises to participate, and we have received positive feedback from these enterprises. Two enterprises will conduct further discussion with enterprises from Lodz to explore the cooperation possibilities. Next year, we will further our cooperation with Poland and set up an exchange platform for enterprises from industries like agriculture, food, medicine, electronic, new material, etc.

Governor Stepien felt delighted to meet again with President Li Gang in Chengdu, and expressed his thanks to CCPIT Sichuan Council's support and cooperation.Governor Stepien said that he was glad to see the substantial achievements brought by "Chengdu-Europe Express Rail" for economic and trade cooperation between Lodz Province and Sichuan Province. The two parties need to work harder to promote the train's full load of products back to Chengdu after it takes the full load to Europe, so that more products from Poland and Lodz can enter Sichuan Market. Governor Stepien introduced the major industries of Lodz. Besides traditional industries like agriculture and food & beverage, construction material (new material), furniture, hi-tech industry of Lodz, are also competitive industries. Many automobile parts manufacturers in Lodz are making products for big manufacturers around the world, and Lodz is the world's major aircraft maintenance base. He mentioned that as a province located in the center of Poland, in order to better the tourism and promote its economic and trade exchange with Chengdu in Sichuan, it planned to open a direct flight from Lodz to Chengdu.

Mr. Piotr Gillert, Polish Ambassador to China, was also present at the meeting.Mr. Piotr Gillert said Sichuan was an important partner of Poland, and he was glad to see Governor Stepien's delegation to visit Sichuan and conduct economic & trade exchange.Polish Embassy has kept a friendly cooperative relationship with CCPIT, and is considering holding the next "China-Poland Regional Cooperation Forum" in Chengdu. Polish embassy and Polish Consulate General in Chengdu will make every effort to support and facilitate cooperation between Sichuan Province and Lodz Province of Poland.

At the meeting, President Li Gang said that the two sides’ cooperation should not only remain on the paper, but needed to be implemented. Poland and Sichuan can supplement each other in their industrial cooperation. As Chengdu is a major base for China's furniture production, with the further interaction between China and economic bodies along the "Belt and Road" region and Sichuan's further opening-up, European-style furniture is under virtuous development and it has a wide market. Polish furniture enterprises can take advantage of such opportunities and further strengthen its cooperation with Sichuan. Entering into the other side's market through trade is a simple way of cooperation; while cooperation based on investment is deep cooperation.

Later, President Li Gang made a special introduction about two events held by CCPIT Sicuan Council: "Chengdu International Trade Fair for Automative Parts and Aftermarketing Service" (CAPAS) and "China (Chengdu) Smart Industry International Expo". He sincerely invited automobile parts & accessories manufacturers and smart-industry-related enterprises in Lodz Province to attend the exhibition. Governor Stepien was pleased to accept the invitation and promised to organize enterprises to participate in the exhibition and expo.