BEIJING: Chinese President Xi Jinping told Prime Minister of the Netherlands Mark Rutte that he welcomes more Dutch companies to invest in China on Wednesday in Beijing.
At the invitation of Chinese Premier Li Qiang, Rutte is paying a working visit to China on March 26 and 27.
Hailing the Netherlands as a gateway of China-Europe cooperation, Xi said China is willing to promote the development of China-Netherlands open and pragmatic partnership for comprehensive cooperation.
China will expand the import of high-quality products from the Netherlands, he said, expressing hope for a fair and transparent business environment for Chinese enterprises in the Netherlands.
The Chinese president urged cooperation in artificial intelligence, green transformation and silver-haired economy while promoting traditional cooperation in agriculture, water conservancy and energy.
It is hoped that both sides will facilitate personnel exchanges and promote educational, cultural and people-to-people exchanges, Xi said.
China is ready to strengthen coordination with the Netherlands in multilateral settings such as the United Nations and the World Trade Organization and jointly address global challenges including climate change and biodiversity, he added.
Regarding the economy, he said de-coupling is a dead end and the only choice is open cooperation.
The Chinese side always believes that the ‘win or lose’ binary mindset is outdated and that a real safe world is an interconnected and interdependent one, Xi said.
“Artificially creating technological barriers and cutting off industrial and supply chains will only lead to division and confrontation,” he said.
“The Chinese people also have the legitimate right to development and no force can stop China’s scientific and technological development and progress,” the president said.
Xi also said China regards Europe as a partner and hopes the Dutch side will play a positive role in promoting mutual understanding between China and Europe and building a constructive relationship.
The Dutch prime minister affirmed that de-coupling is not a policy option for his government, as any act harming China’s development interests will hurt itself.
Rutte said the Dutch side values its friendship with China and is willing to deepen their partnership. He expressed appreciation for China’s 15-day visa-free travel policy for Dutch visitors, saying that his country is willing to facilitate personnel exchanges.
The Netherlands is ready to strengthen cooperation in economy and trade, and reducing carbon emissions, he said, adding that the Dutch side will enhance coordination with China in multilateral settings such as the G20 as well as issues regarding regional and global hotspots.
