The Ambassador of the People's Republic of China to Poland, Mr Xu Jian paid a visit to the Jagiellonian University on 5 November 2014. He was received in Collegium Novum by the Rector of the Jagiellonian University, Prof. Wojciech Nowak and a delegation from the JU Faculty of International and Political Studies, including the Dean, Prof. Bogdan Szlachta, the Head of the Institute of the Middle and Far East, Rev. Prof. Krzysztof Kościelniak, and the Head of the Confucius Institute in Kraków, Dr Joanna Wardęga. The ambassador was accompanied by the educational advisor, Mr Liu Wansheng, and the bilateral relations advisor, Ms Fei Yao. The issues discussed at the meeting pertained to the ongoing and prospective cooperation between the Chinese higher education institutions and the Jagiellonian University, with special focus on the Institute of the Middle and Far East and the Confucius Institute. 

After the meeting, the delegation took a tour of the JU Museum in Collegium Maius, after which the ambassador went to the Campus of the 600th Anniversary of the JU Revival, where Xu Jian gave a lecture entitled "Chinese diplomacy and the relationship between China and Poland." The ambassador described Chinese international relations in their historic context, characterising them as oriented at peace and mutually beneficial cooperation. He also pointed to the parallels between the history of the Polish and Chinese nations and the close relations between the two countries established in recent years. The lecture was part of the 3rd edition of the Jagiellonian Diplomatic Encounters, organised by the Faculty of International and Political Studies since the academic year 2012/2013.

The ambassador's visit at the Jagiellonian University concluded at the Centre for Chinese Language and Culture: the Confucius Institute in Kraków, where he met with its head, Dr Joanna Wardęga and the deputy head, Mr Sun Zhongli. This was the ambassador's fist visit  to this eight-year old institution.

During his diplomatic career, Xu Jian has occupied a number of positions, including an advisor at the Chinese embassy to the Socialist Republic of Romania, the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the People's Republic of China to the Republic of Slovenia and the Republic of Romania, as well as the Head of the Department of Control at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the PRC. Since 2012, he has been the Ambassador of the PRC to Poland.

Translated from the Polish text by Dr Joanna Wardęga