Xi eyes greater ties with Netherlands

Leaders vow development at higher levels while exchanging congratulations

President Xi Jinping exchanged congratulatory messages on Wednesday with King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the establishment of ambassadorial-level diplomatic relations between the two countries.

In his message, Xi pointed out that since the ties' establishment and with the joint efforts of both sides, the bilateral relations have developed on a constant basis and cooperation in various fields has yielded fruitful results.

Xi noted that in 2014, he and King Willem-Alexander upgraded China-Netherlands relations to an open and pragmatic partnership for comprehensive cooperation, and the role of the Netherlands as a "gateway" in China-EU cooperation has become more prominent.

After the outbreak of the COVID-19 epidemic, China and the Netherlands supported each other, demonstrating the profound friendship between the two peoples, Xi added.

Xi said he attaches great importance to the development of China-Netherlands relations and is willing to work with King Willem-Alexander to promote the sustainable, healthy and stable development of bilateral relations for the benefit of the two countries and their peoples.

King Willem-Alexander said that over the 50 years, bilateral ties have developed vigorously and exchanges in areas such as the economy, trade and culture have been full of life.

It is believed that with the joint efforts of both sides, the outstanding and productive relations between the Netherlands and China will be further consolidated and developed, he said.

Also on Wednesday, Premier Li Keqiang and Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte exchanged congratulatory messages.

Li said that China is willing to take the opportunity of celebrating the 50th anniversary of the establishment of bilateral diplomatic relations to further strengthen exchanges in various fields, expand mutually beneficial cooperation, and take China-Netherlands relations to higher levels.

Rutte said that since the establishment of bilateral diplomatic relations, relations between the two countries have made considerable progress. It is hoped that the two sides will deepen cooperation, jointly promote economic recovery and further deal with climate change, he said.