On the evening of 24 March, President Xi Jinping spoke with President Andrzej Duda of Poland on the phone.

Xi recalled the sympathy and support the Polish government and people from all sectors extended to China since the COVID-19 outbreak, and expressed deep appreciation on behalf of the Chinese people. Citing the saying "true friendship stands the test of adversity", Xi emphasized China's firm support for the government and people of Poland in their battle against the outbreak. At a recent video conference of health experts from China and 17 Central and Eastern European (CEE) countries, Poland included, China shared epidemic-related information and response measures in a timely manner. Guided by the vision of a community with a shared future for mankind, China will strengthen cooperation with Poland and the wider world to beat the virus and safeguard global public health security.

Xi hailed the Chinese people as the source of strength and confidence for winning this battle. With unity, resolve and commitment, the 1.4 billion Chinese people have fought tenaciously against the epidemic. Xi stressed that he was deeply touched by the heroic spirit of Chinese health workers who put themselves in harm's way to save lives. Lauding the people as the true heroes, Xi pointed out that with the firm support of the people, we will triumph over any difficulty that may come our way and realize the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.

Xi emphasized that Poland is China's important cooperation partner in the EU and CEE region, and that China will work with Poland to step up high-level exchanges, deepen mutual understanding and strategic trust, advance China-Poland relations, and contribute more to China-CEEC cooperation and China-EU relations.

Duda applauded China's prompt, decisive and forceful response measures that have proven effective in stemming the spread of the virus, and paid tributes to the Chinese people and health workers battling the epidemic. He noted the importance of drawing on China's experience. In the context of the serious challenge confronting his country and its urgent need for medical supplies, Duda thanked China for its timely and valuable assistance and hailed it as a testament to the profound friendship between the two countries. Highlighting China's strong economic resilience, Duda reaffirmed his confidence in China's ability to emerge even stronger from the outbreak and his hope to strengthen cooperation with China across the board and jointly promote CEEC-China cooperation. Duda underscored that he cherishes his friendship with President Xi and looks forward to visiting China at an early date when the epidemic is over.