Intelligence Committee to meet in Gdynia before key decision

The O2 portal has learned that the Intelligence Committee of the Polish Sejm may hold an off-site meeting in Gdynia, where a long-term lease of the port by Chinese capital is being considered, which raises concerns about the security of NATO secrets.

“We have been reporting about the problem of Chinese presence in Gdynia on o2.pl for three years. 20 hectares and more than half a kilometer of waterfront in the port, leased to a Chinese company until 2089. The overriding problem is the lack of control over the area of the Port Authority and the independence of this area from Port law,” O2 wrote.

PM Minister Donald Tusk announced there would be an inspection at the Port of Gdynia. The O2 portal quoted the Special Services Coordinator Minister Tomasz Siemoniak who admitted that “the Polish intelligence services share the threat assessment with the US and NATO services and will handle this with intensity.”

“The issue of the Chinese presence in Gdynia is of concern to our NATO allies. The need to regulate the issue of state supervision of critical infrastructure was raised by the US ambassador in a public letter and the American Chamber of Commerce. Its chairman, Tony House, wrote an open letter to former Senate Speaker Tomasz Grodzki last year,” O2 wrote. “In light of global competition and strategic aspirations, China is increasing its presence in European ports. Including Poland’s. In this context, Gdynia is one of the key places where Chinese companies engage in the purchase and development of port infrastructure. The growth of Chinese presence in Polish ports is associated with a strategic perspective for the Middle Kingdom, both in the context of trade and geopolitics,” the letter said.

“The government of Prime Minister Tusk is facing major challenges in this regard. Law and Justice left it to its successors to decide on, among others, the tender for the construction and use of the external port for more than 30 years. The previous government wanted to settle this before elections. However, due to the involvement of the intelligence services, the military and our allies, the deadline has been postponed and now the submission of bids by the four admitted bidders is scheduled for mid – February 2024,” concludes O2.

BiznesAlert.pl has also reported on the dispute over Chinese capital in Gdynia. It is worth mentioning that opposite the planned lease site there is a Polish Navy port used by NATO forces to supply the eastern flank and Ukraine struggling with the invasion of Russia.

O2 / Wojciech Jakóbik