Polish president and PM urged to raise human rights with Chinese president

Chinese president Xi Jinping will visit the Polish capital in June.

“China's drive toward economic reform and modernisation over the past 25 years has brought enormous changes to Chinese society and created a better environment for individuals to assert and protect their rights. The voice of China’s civil society is getting louder and firmer. However, during the tenure of president Xi Jinping, China has experienced significant violations to rights unseen in the last two decades,” the letter read.

The signitories of the letter asked why Poles should stand up for the oppressed and prisoners in China.

“For decades Poland and its Solidarity Movement have been and an inspiration for the Chinese. In 1983 a Chinese dissident, Li Wangyang, influenced by Solidarity Movement, organised Shaoyang Workers Cooperative. For this endeavor, among others, he was prosecuted by the Chinese authorities and spent 23 years in prison.

"Four years ago his body was found hanged in a hospital room. The family and friends suspect that he was murdered by the communist regime. Li believed that China needed Solidarity, needed the spirit of Poles who in the face of tyranny and oppression chose freedom and democracy and changed their country and the course of history."

The letter added: “China still needs Solidarity... the groups engaged in building civil society, the Christians, the lawyers, the journalists, Falun Gong practitioners, minorities (Tibetans, Uyghurs, Mongolians) and many others need your, Mr. President, Madam Prime Minister, and the Polish people’s, support.

"In the spirit of Solidarity, we should speak out on behalf of the persecuted in China.” (rg/pk)