China the priority for exchanges with the Netherlands, says top diplomat

BEIJING - The Netherlands is making collaboration with China a priority to expand bilateral educational exchanges, said Bas Pulles, deputy head of mission at the Dutch embassy in China.

"China has been the priority on educational collaboration. ... That means we are still looking for an increase, not only in terms of numbers (of Chinese students studying in the Netherlands) but also for a sharper focus on quality," Pulles told Xinhua after the Orange Tulip Scholarship award ceremony in Beijing on June 29.

"This year marks the 10th anniversary of the OTS scholarships in China. The past decade has seen remarkable growth in the scholarship program," he said.