Dutch PM visits Beijing to boost trade relations

The 18-meter-tall rubber duck by Dutch artist Florentijn Hofman became more than just a passing topic of conversation among China's public on Friday - it apparently became a symbol of cooperation between China and the Netherlands.

On Friday, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte met Premier Li Keqiang at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. The visit was the first by a European leader after the Third Plenary Session of the 18th Communist Party of China Central Committee concluded on Tuesday.

President Xi Jinping met Rutte later on Friday.

"The rubber duck has just concluded its China tour, and that is a great success. I believe it laid a good foundation for your visit," Li said during their meeting.

More than 3 million people visited the rubber duck during its 52-day stay in Beijing in September and October. Hofman's duck brought an estimated $32.8 million in revenue to the Chinese capital.

Li said the Netherlands is among China's priorities among EU member countries. He suggested that the two nations expand cooperation in environmental protection, new energy and financing.

He expects the Netherlands to expand high-tech exports to China and work with Beijing to fight acts of trade protectionism.

Rutte arrived in Beijing early on Friday morning for a two-day visit. He told Li that China's new guidelines for reform, made during the plenum, are "very impressive".

"I'm very interested in it, and I expect to learn more," said Rutte, who added that he recently learned China built a free trade zone in Shanghai.

Rutte told People's Daily before the visit that issues such as food safety, financial services, city planning and water conservation are "issues of common concern".

Political experts said Hofman's duck may have opened a door for the Netherlands to develop economic ties with China and added that Rutte's interest in China's new reform agenda is a sign that the international community is paying attention to China's new directions.

Ding Chun, director of the Center for European Studies and the Center for Dutch Studies at Fudan University in Shanghai, said China's political and economic development plan is extremely important for debt-ridden Europe.

Ding said leaders from the European Union as well as other countries in Europe will soon arrive in Beijing. The Foreign Ministry has said China and the EU will have their annual summit next week in Beijing.

"It is indeed good timing to discuss deepening partnerships," he said.

Rutte brought a large delegation of CEOs from major Dutch companies for his two-day visit to a roundtable meeting with Chinese CEOs on Friday.

The Netherlands has been China's second-biggest trade partner in the EU for 10 consecutive years. According to official statistics, trade between the two countries reached nearly $68 billion in 2012.