On July 7, Minister of Commerce Wang Wentao and Minister of Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation Sjoerd Sjoerdsma of the Netherlands co-chaired the 18th session of the China-Netherlands Joint Economic and Trade Committee in Beijing. The two sides held candid and in-depth exchanges of views on China-Netherlands and China-EU economic and trade relations.

Wang Wentao stated that in the phone conversation between Premier Li Qiang and Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten in March, the two sides reached important consensus on promoting continued new progress in the China-Netherlands open and pragmatic partnership for comprehensive cooperation. MOFCOM stands ready to enhance cooperation with the Netherlands in areas including advanced manufacturing, technological innovation, green transition, and modern services. It is hoped that the Netherlands will provide a fair, just, and predictable environment for Chinese enterprises investing in the country, maintain the stability of semiconductor industrial and supply chains, and promote the proper resolution of disputes involving relevant companies. China welcomes Dutch enterprises to invest in China and share the opportunities created by its supersized market.

Wang Wentao noted that last week, China and the EU held the first meeting of the China-EU Trade and Investment Consultation (TIC) and issued a joint statement, confirming the new positioning of a stable and balanced key trading partnership between the two sides. He expressed the hope that the Dutch government would play an active and constructive role within the EU, encourage the EU to work with China in the same direction, and manage disputes through dialogue and consultation.

Sjoerd Sjoerdsma said that the Dutch government and business community attach great importance to cooperation with China. Over the past few decades, the Netherlands and China have established a healthy and stable economic and trade relationship. He stated that the Netherlands is willing to further strengthen policy communication and coordination with China, deepen trade and investment cooperation, provide a stable and transparent business environment for Chinese enterprises investing in the country, and promote the steady development of both China-EU and China-Netherlands relations.

After the meeting, Wang Wentao and Sjoerd Sjoerdsma signed the Memorandum of Understanding on the Establishment of the China-Netherlands CEO Council, and jointly attended the inaugural meeting of the Council. Representatives of more than 30 enterprises from both countries were present at the meeting. (Released on July 8)