President Xi Welcomes Dutch PM, Advocates Deepened Cooperation

Beijing, The Gulf Observer: In a significant diplomatic exchange, Chinese President Xi Jinping extended a warm welcome to Prime Minister of the Netherlands, Mark Rutte, during discussions in Beijing on Wednesday. President Xi expressed his openness to greater investment from Dutch companies in China, underscoring the mutual benefits of strengthened economic ties between the two nations.

Prime Minister Rutte’s visit to China, at the invitation of Chinese Premier Li Qiang, underscores the importance of bilateral relations between the two countries. Scheduled from March 26 to 27, Rutte’s visit aims to foster deeper cooperation and understanding between China and the Netherlands.

President Xi hailed the Netherlands as a pivotal gateway for China-Europe cooperation, emphasizing China’s commitment to advancing the comprehensive partnership between the two nations. He highlighted China’s willingness to enhance imports of high-quality Dutch products and emphasized the importance of fostering a fair and transparent business environment for Chinese enterprises operating in the Netherlands.

During discussions, President Xi outlined key areas for collaboration, including artificial intelligence, environmental sustainability, and the silver economy, while also stressing the importance of continuing traditional cooperation in sectors such as agriculture, water conservancy, and energy.

Furthermore, President Xi emphasized the importance of promoting educational, cultural, and people-to-people exchanges between China and the Netherlands, underscoring the significance of facilitating personnel exchanges.

In the realm of multilateral cooperation, President Xi expressed China’s readiness to strengthen coordination with the Netherlands in international forums such as the United Nations and the World Trade Organization. Together, both countries aim to address pressing global challenges, including climate change and biodiversity.

President Xi reiterated China’s stance on economic cooperation, asserting that decoupling is not a viable option and advocating for open and mutually beneficial collaboration. He emphasized that China views Europe as a valued partner and hopes for Dutch support in fostering mutual understanding and constructive relations between China and Europe.

In response, Prime Minister Rutte reaffirmed the Dutch government’s commitment to avoiding policies that harm China’s development interests, emphasizing the importance of deepening cooperation between the two nations. Rutte expressed gratitude for China’s facilitation of visa-free travel for Dutch visitors and conveyed the Netherlands’ readiness to bolster economic and trade ties while jointly addressing environmental challenges, including carbon emissions reduction.

Both leaders expressed their intent to enhance coordination in multilateral settings such as the G20 and collaborate on addressing regional and global issues of mutual concern, underlining their shared commitment to promoting peace, stability, and prosperity on the global stage.