Continuous communication, Dutch minister leads economic and trade delegation to visit China

Reuters reported that from the 7th to the 9th of this month, Dutch Minister of Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation Scherzma led a delegation to China for a three-day visit, including Beijing and Shanghai. The accompanying delegation is composed of 17 Dutch companies, covering multiple fields such as logistics, agriculture, and high technology. The Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that this is also the first time since April 2018 that a Dutch minister has led an economic and trade delegation to visit China.

Scherzma issued a statement before his visit to China, saying, "Over the past few decades, we have established close trade ties with China. One of the goals of this visit is to further strengthen bilateral trade relations, and expressing our own concerns is also part of it. I look forward to discussing common opportunities and challenges in the field of trade with China in Beijing

According to Reuters, at the time of Scherzma's visit to China, China and the Netherlands have yet to reach a consensus on the proper handling of differences related to Ansea Semiconductor. At the same time, the United States is preparing to introduce new regulations to force the Netherlands to tighten its export controls on semiconductor equipment to China. On the 6th, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning stated that China and the Netherlands are important partners in cooperation, adhering to the spirit of openness and pragmatism, promoting dialogue and cooperation, which is in line with the common interests of both countries. "We welcome the business departments of the two countries to strengthen dialogue and exchanges and deepen cooperation on the basis of mutual respect.

The EU China Chamber of Commerce stated in an exclusive response to the Global Times on the 7th that Scherzma's visit to China sends a positive signal that both sides will continue to maintain contact and dialogue. The EU China Chamber of Commerce stated that strengthening communication between the two sides will help enhance mutual trust, address trade and investment concerns through dialogue and negotiation, and create a more predictable and stable market environment for businesses operating in both markets simultaneously.

Researcher Zhou Wei from the Research Institute of the Ministry of Commerce stated in an interview with Global Times on the 7th that the current economic and trade relations between China and the Netherlands still face some differences in areas such as semiconductors, but both sides also have a broad foundation for industrial cooperation. The Dutch visit to China shows that in the context of the complex and volatile global economic and trade environment, the Netherlands still attaches importance to maintaining and strengthening economic and trade ties with China, and hopes to find an effective way to properly solve economic and trade problems through communication and exchanges.