Message from Dutch Prime Minister

The Netherlands and China enjoy longstanding ties of friendship and trade. Dutch traders have been finding their way to China ever since the early 17th century, and today the Netherlands is home to many Chinese businesses.

In 1950 the Netherlands officially recognized the People's Republic of China. In 1972 diplomatic relations were established at Ambassador level - a milestone we have been celebrating throughout 2007 by highlighting the various dimensions of Dutch-Chinese relations in the 21st century.

In 2004 I had the pleasure to visit China. This was a successful visit, one that I still have fond memories of. The Dutch Minister of Foreign Affairs, Maxime Verhagen, visited China in May this year to commemorate the 35th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations.

During the coming Golden October Holiday, the Dutch Embassy will be setting up a Holland Village in Beijing's Chaoyang Park. A family event, the village will present Dutch handicrafts, food, culture and entertainment in a traditional Dutch street, with a real windmill.

China and the Netherlands have found mutually beneficial ways of working together in many fields. We share a long history of cooperation in the field of agriculture. The Netherlands, a country small in size yet one of the world's top three exporters of food, has a lot to offer China, with its huge population but relative shortage of arable land.

China and the Netherlands maintain extensive contacts in many fields. Dutch universities attract many Chinese students with their international programs and an increasing number of Dutch students have found their way to Chinese institutions of higher education. In the field of culture, 2007 saw the establishment of the Netherlands China Arts Foundation aimed at promoting cultural exchanges between China and the Netherlands. Later this year the Dutch national museum, the Rijksmuseum, will exhibit a selection of its world-renowned collection in the Shanghai Museum.

In July, Minister for Trade Frank Heemskerk headed a trade mission to China. As China's second largest trade partner in Europe, the Netherlands sends two such general trade missions to China each year, as well as a growing number of regional and specialist trade missions headed by ministers and provincial governors. The Netherlands and China have agreed to re-establish the Sino-Dutch Joint Economic Committee (JEC). This JEC has recently held its first round of consultations in the Netherlands in the presence of Chinese Vice-Minister of Commerce Yu Guangzhou, and the Dutch Minister for Trade Frank Heemskerk.

The Netherlands, a country that owes its very existence to a very sophisticated system of flood defence, has a lot to share with China in this field. The Chinese Ministry of Water Resources has established excellent relations with the Dutch Ministry of Transport, Public Works and Water Management and together they are exploring ways of using and living with water, in both China and the Netherlands.

The cities of Rotterdam and Shanghai have established a flourishing twinning relationship, since each functions as a gateway for the transport of goods from China to Europe and vice versa. From the port of Rotterdam, Chinese goods find their way to the European Union, the largest consumer market in the world. Many other Dutch and Chinese cities have also established ties of friendship, not least our capitals Beijing and Amsterdam.

The near future will bring many more opportunities for the Dutch and the Chinese to explore and develop the relations between our two countries. China's economy will continue to flourish and bring opportunities for Dutch businesses. In 2008, of course, the Olympic Games will be held in Beijing. We hope that the Dutch sportsmen and women will shine and that the legion of Dutch fans will join Chinese sports enthusiasts in this worldwide celebration. I myself hope to be present during the Games to witness all of this.

I should like to congratulate China on the 58th anniversary of the establishment of the People's Republic of China on October 1 and invite the people of this great country to come to Chaoyang Park and see and experience the diversity of Dutch culture, the modernity of our society and our special brand of cooking.

Jan Peter Balkenende

Prime Minister of the Kingdom of the Netherlands

(Shanghai Start 09/28/2007 page1)