There is great significance and bright potential for cooperation between China and the Netherlands, officials and experts said at an event held in Shanghai over the weekend, celebrating the 50th anniversary of diplomatic ties between the two countries.
The event was hosted by the Shanghai Overseas Returned Scholars Association, but organized by the Benelux chapter (SORSA Benelux), the Benelux Chamber of Commerce in China, and other organizations. It was held Saturday afternoon, gathering both Chinese people who have studied and worked in the Netherlands and Dutch people working in China.
"Over the past 50 years, China and the Netherlands have made fruitful achievements by cooperating in various areas, ranging from economy to culture, education and science," said Zhu Lingling, deputy director of the Shanghai Overseas Returned Scholars Association.
She pointed out that the Netherlands is now China's largest investment destination and the second-largest source of investment in the European Union.
"We've also made steady progress in coping with climate change, as well as promoting scientific innovation, digital economy and green development, which have become new growth points for economic and trade cooperation, while injecting new drive for the development of our bilateral relationship," she added.
She also noted that over 20 Dutch universities have established long-term cooperation with their counterparts in China and nearly 10,000 Chinese students are studying in the Netherlands. Over 30 pairs of cities from the two countries have become sister cities while products from the two countries have become popular choices for both peoples.
"Neither winter nor the COVID-19 pandemic can stop us from communicating and cooperating," she added. "I believe there's a broad future for our cooperation over the next 50 years, and I hope every one of us will work as a footstone for our bilateral relationship."
Marjo Crompvoets, consul-general of the Netherlands in Shanghai, thanked all participants for their active roles in the past 50 years of promoting and deepening the China-Dutch exchange and cooperation, in fields from trade and investment to culture and high-tech.
Besides the importance of official exchanges between the governments of the two countries, she also underlined the importance of people-to-people connections as the foundation for the interaction between the two countries, and essential for building mutual understanding.
"It is you, the people who we're actually engaged with in such exchanges, which make up the pool of DNA in the relationship between China and the Netherlands," she said.
Two strategic agreements were signed by SORSA Benelux with other partners during the event, to further promote exchanges and cooperation between China and the Netherlands, and other European countries.
According to the first agreement, SORSA Benelux and the Benelux Chamber of Commerce in China will work together with the embassies of Belgium, Netherlands and Luxembourg in China, and Chinese enterprises to help Chinese students who have studied in the three European countries in their career development, and help enterprises from the three countries better adapt to the domestic market.
In the other agreement, SORSA Benelux joined hands with the Europe China Returnee Alliance to help professionals who have worked in Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg, as well as other European countries to keep connected with the Chinese market, and help Chinese enterprises enter the global market.
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