A Polish diplomat's long story with China

Behind a door pasted with the Chinese character "Fu" that means "good fortune", a house full of Chinese furniture and decorations greets visitors. This is the home of Zdzislaw Gorzlczyk, president of Poland-China Friendship Association and former Polish ambassador to China.

On a book shelf outside the sitting room are dozens of photos recording moments of Gorzlczyk's meetings of Polish and Chinese leaders. Gorzlczyk told Xinhua that they were taken during his time as a diplomat in China.

Gorzlczyk's connection with China dates back to 1953 when he, then a student aged 17, was sent by the Polish government to study in China. He has spent 25 years living and working off and on in the country, with 19 years as a diplomat.

As the Polish ambassador to China from 1994 to 1999, Gorzlczyk helped realize bilateral exchange of high-level visits, including the 1997 trip to China by then Polish President Aleksander Kwasniewski, while promoting communication at other levels.

After quitting this job, Gorzlczyk worked as an adviser on China affairs for several Polish presidents and premiers.

To honor his contribution to the development of China-Poland ties, Gorzlczyk was awarded not only Polish medals, but also a title of honorable citizen of Beijing in 2001 from the Chinese side.

Gorzlczyk's marriage to a Chinese woman is another important link of him to China.

"I first met her at Wangfujin Street in central Beijing. We fell in love at the first sight," he said, recalling his wife Ge Yuanyuan, who passed away earlier this year.

Gorzlczyk said his transnational marriage was the first of its kind approved by both governments, and that he was the first Polish ambassador to China with a Chinese wife.

The couple spent decades collecting furniture and handcrafted works typical of Chinese style, as well as Chinese ink paintings and calligraphy, among other things, to decorate their home in Warsaw.

"I wanted Yuanyuan to feel like she's living in China," he told Xinhua.

"My family is a mini Poland-China join venture," he joked.

Gorzlczyk is now in his eighties, but his story with China continues, partly in his son's working now as a commercial counsellor at the Polish embassy in China.

Speaking of Chinese President Xi Jinping's state visit to Poland scheduled for June 19-21, Gorzlczyk said he is confident that Xi's trip will further deepen the traditional friendship between the two peoples.