The article presents an overview of the history of the Polish cultural relations with China. It covers the period from XII/XIII century to the year 2013. In the distant past Polish missionaries travelled to China and acquired knowledge on this country and its rich cultural heritage. The most prominent person of that epoch was Michal Boym, a devoted and courageous Jesuit, one of the best European specialist on China in XVII century. The establishment of diplomatic relations with the New China on 1949, was a turning-point in Polish-Chinese relations. Its concerned also cultural cooperation. Ever since started process of better reciprocal knowledge, especially in sphere of literature where even were some interaction. At the last years important role in cultural relations played a big projects as Polish participation in EXPO 2010 in Shanghai and the Year of Chopin. Increasing role played also initiatives of Polish cultural institutions in China and presence and development of teaching Chinese language at Universities and by Institutes of Confucius. The development of political cooperation between both countries and new Chinese initiatives concerning: bilateral relations, relations China with 16 Central and Eastern European countries and relations the EU – China permit to have great expectation for a future of Polish-Chinese cooperation, cultural cooperation included.

The article describes the history of Polish relations with China, starting from the end of the 13th century to the end of the 18th century. It focuses mainly on political and economic relations, but it refers to the civilizational and cultural relations as well. The Author omits, already quite well analyzed, issues concerning the Jesuit and Franciscan missionaries in China. The Author mentions the Battle of Legnica on Dobre Pole on 9th April 1241, which should be considered as the first contact between the Poles and the Mongols. The Author mentions diplomatic mission of the Franciscan Benedict the Pole who on 22th July 1246, as the first Pole, reached Karakorum in Mongolia. However, the most part of the article concerns the attempts to find a simpler way to China through the lands of Moscow, which has failed, and even in the 12th century, the Poles used the sea route or traveled through Persia. The article highlights the efforts of missionaries and diplomats in that matter. As the most interesting issue in Polish-Chinese relations in the period until the end of the 18th century, the Author indicates an attempt to establish direct relations between the king Jan III Sobieski and the Chinese emperor Kangxi. Jan III Sobieski after the victory over the Turks at Vienna has sent one of his portraits to the emperor’s court, who accepted the gift and has responded writing him a letter. Moreover, in the 18th century, not only the king Jan III Sobieski, but also merchants, middle-class bourgeois and landowners possessed Chinese products, especially Chinese porcelain.

Writing, the carrier of culture and the symbol of human civilization, first appeared in Sumer. Like other ancient languages of Egypt and India, ancient Sumerian symbols have been lost in the process of history, but only Chinese characters still remain in use today. They have played a signifi cant role in the development of Chinese language and culture. This article intends to display how Chinese characters were created and how they were simplifi ed from the ancient form of writing to more abstract.

To understand Chinese tradition, it is necessary to clarify the creative process of change as a category of interaction between complementary opposites. In the absence of Western dualistic concept, China has developed a correlative way of thinking about the world. This conception plays an important role in the consideration of the legal culture of China. Unfortunately, often the basis for the analysis of Chinese tradition, culture, and politics lacks this correlative Chinese thinking. Correlative way of thinking based on continuity through change formed not only Chinese philosophy, but also is still forming Chinese reality.

The meaning and the role of the network and guanxi are similar. The difference lies in the basis for the connections and methods used to make a long-term relationship with members of the network. The example can be Western instrumental network which is not equal with the social network. In Chinese culture, both are identical. In Western culture the relationship grows out of deals, but in China it is different, and deals grow out of the relationship. Westerners are generally unaware of the fact that in China social relationships are more meaningful than in the West. They are fundamental to the Chinese national character. In the West one does not need to have a personal relationship with members of the instrumental network.

Guanxi basically is a Chinese term for interpersonal relationship and it has been widespread in the Chinese business world for hundred of years. It connects millions of Chinese firms into a social business web. It is a major determinant of firm performance, particularly its market development. The basic idea is still about to present how the Chinese develop, maintain and utilize relationships to satisfy their social, emotional or instrumental needs. It is a  part of the Chinese society. Guanxi is the essential element because of the weak or unreliable institutional rules and the regulatory framework. Guanxi is connected also with the facilities promotions, distributions, supply, finance, government support, customer loyalty or uncertainty avoidance.

Polish and Chinese cuisine is one of many beautiful flowers in the cultural gardens of both countries. The following article concentrates on existing differences between Polish and Chinese food culture and excavates some cultural, sociological and even spiritual values hidden under tradition of preparing food and drinks.

In theory, the maximization of fiscal revenue is the main administrative goal of any government of any country in any period. It is no doubt that tax evasion has weakened the government’s tax and lowered the ability of government to provide public goods. Additionally, the tax evasion also causes some other problems being adverse to the economic development. For example, the tax evasion distorts the tax system, increasing the deadweight loss. While increasing the government’s law enforcement costs, it also reduces the government tax revenue and the ability to repay. Therefore,  to study the determinants of tax evasion is very important for us.

Modern business world is becoming more international and even more global. Multinational corporations have been around for a long time, and in the era of globalization and the Internet every small business entity can become an international player. Consequently, natural existence of the modern business world is the operation at different legal and tax systems. Moreover, it is not just about tax rates. Various states have even different principles of tax law and  tax rules. This article presents potential problems in the context of double taxation for polish entrepreneur who is planning its business activities in the territory of China, Hong Kong and Macao. Based on business examples Author explains tax consequences of a constitutional principle formulated by Deng Xiaoping – One China, Two Systems.

In recent years, „responsibility to protect” – international security and human rights norm addressed to the international community – failure to prevent and stop genocides, war crimes, ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity has caused remarkable controversy in the international arena. As a permanent member of the UN Security Council, China advocated: „responsible protection”. Ruan Zongze proposed new concept which in his point of view can more authentically reflect the purposes and principles of the UN Charter and the basic norms of international relations, and is more in line with the trend for peace and development. The idea of “responsible protection” is an endeavor  made by China in actively participating in the solution of hotspot issues and in building a reasonable new international political order based on Confucianism as an ethical and philosophical system. China shall continue to undertake its due responsibilities in upholding, together with the vast developing countries, the purposes of the UN Charter, and the basic norms governing international relations, but in the same time we have to consider if RP is not just a hybrid of R2P, as well as Brazilian RwP. Both concepts indicate that de lege ferenda governments should contribute to the global promotion of appropriate behavior towards its citizens and the organizations responsible for international peace to critical appraisal of events. In the future, instead of criticizing the theoretical shortcomings of the responsibility to protect international community should effectively seek a diplomatic solution to the tense situations, and seat earlier at the negotiating table.

Where is Taiwan? What are the languages spoken and what are the races there? Many people might fail to answer these questions about the small island next to China. You might, however, have heard of brands such as Giant, Asus and HTC, or the movie director Ang Lee, who shot his latest fi lm “Life of Pi” right in his own country. All these mentioned above are just from Taiwan, an island next to China with a land only one-eighth of Poland and a population of 23 million.

According to historical records, the history of Taiwan basically can be divided  into 5 periods, which are Dutch Rule (1624–1662), The Kingdom of Tungning (1661–1683), Qing Dynasty Rule (1683–1895), Japanese Rule (1895–1945), and Republic of China Rule (from 1945 till now). Long before Dutch Rule there were human activities and kingdom regimes in Taiwan. At that time people in Taiwan were Taiwanese aboriginals, whose languages were branches of Austronesian languages.

Harriet Low Hilliard’s memories were written in the first half of the 19th century during her four year stay in the Portuguese Macau, on the southern coast of China. She was twenty years old when her aunt Abigail Low and uncle William Henry Low invited her to travel to Macau. It was time when women were not allowed to enter Canton which she visited thanks to the position of her uncle. In her memories, Harriet Low Hilliard describes everyday life of foreigners in Macau, bringing up such subjects as accommodation, food, fashion and customs of Europeans in that small Portuguese colony, as well as customs of the local people working and living in Macau and its suburbs.

Rabindranath Tagore, a poet and a messenger of spiritual idealism, became an architect of a cultural bridge between India and China. In his thought and idea, with the force of universal humanism, Tagore breaks the geopolitical boundaries of Asia to proclaim unity through cultural affinities between the two nations. The concept of Buddhist humanism as the synthesis of Sino-Indian relations permeates the ideological journey of the poet in 1924 and constitutes the core of his spiritual pilgrimage. Tagore arrives at China as an exponent of the timeless idealism of universal love consisting in the idea of ’ahimsa’ (non-violence) being the path to peaceful salvation for humanity from the greedy hands of eastern materialism. The idea of a bloodless Buddhist conquest, as opposed to the inhuman crusades, along with the concept of spiritual democracy in contrast to the oppressive caste system, becomes the humanistic message of Rabindranath Tagore who thus echoes the idealism of Lord Buddha. This idealism, being the voice of the oppressed and the light of the lost in their lonely struggle for the rebirth of human values, revives the notion of brotherhood between the nations, thus expanding the concept of global spiritual humanity without frontiers.

Terayama Shūji was a Japanese avant-garde poet, novelist, film and theatre director, as well as the creator of a very eccentric Japanese theatrical troupe called Tenjō Sajiki. He is a world renowned character and is believed to be one of the most original and influential figures in Japanese modern art. Although he was considered as the originator of a series of scandalous events, he was still supported by a range of important Japanese and Europeans stage directors, art designers, writers and poets who regard him as a revolutionary art reformer and genius that can invoke in the audience something more than just the mere interpretation of a play. Terayama was able to make the viewer participate in his theatrical events, so that the spectators become active artists, and according to their views and interpretations, the play, which actually comes into being, could differ considerably. His major theatrical masterpieces include: The Hunchback of Aomori, The Mink Marie, Heretics and Directions to Servants. As for his cinematographic art, his poetic film Pastoral Hide and Seek is often compared to Federico Fellini’s masterpiece 8 ½. Terayama is also known as one of the directors of the New Wave film Throw away your books, rally on the streets dedicated to the Beat Generation and an original adaption of Gabriel García Márquez’s saga One Hundred Years of Solitude.

The major goal of the article is to demonstrate how important is the analysis of Terayama’s childhood while reading his works. Since Terayama’s novels has not been yet translated into Polish, the Author hopes that the conducted research on the Japanese artist’s early biographical and (at the same time) non-biographical works, might help other researchers to comprehend the symbolism and metaphorical images in his films as well as in theatrical plays.

The Japanese party system, according to assumptions of Giovanni Sartori’s classification, should be considered as the predominant-party system. Liberal Democratic Party is occupying a dominant position in this system. The LDP has been in power since 1955, except for a brief period in 1993 and 2009, when the party was deprived of power because of electoral defeats. In remaining elections, the party has been achieving victories and thanks to that the LDP gained an absolute majority in the parliament and could self-govern. The LDP should be considered as a conservative political power, realizing the neoliberal program in the economy. Among the reasons for the dominance of the party, particular attention should be paid to the fact that it bases on the rural electorate and that the electoral system works to its advantage