Over 100 Dutch small-and-medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) attended "China Business Week", an annual event organized by a network of Dutch economic government institutions on Monday.
Jaap Smit, governor of the Province of Zuid-Holland, said opening the event that his province is planning a new economic and trade mission to China in May next year. Since taking the post in 2014, the governor has visited China three times.
"The cooperation between the Netherlands and China is mutual-benefiting. It enables us to better address the challenges facing the humanity, climate change, global food supply, and urban sustainable development in particular. Work together to innovate, we can play an important role in these fields," said Jaap Smit.
The openness and the inclusiveness advocated last month at the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China will inject new opportunity for business cooperation, said Smit.
Chinese Ambassador to the Netherlands Wu Ken said the Dutch business world faces a historical opportunity as China develops and transforms, opens up and works together with the world via the Belt and Road Initiative.
"In 2017, the 45th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between our two countries, the Dutch exports to China are expected to exceed 10 billion U.S. dollars for the first time; and Dutch companies invested in more than 3,200 projects in China," Wu told the entrepreneurs looking to expand their international business and build overseas relations.
"China Business Week" is organized by the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO) and supported by the Dutch economic government network in China.
Apart from the Netherlands Embassy in Beijing and the Consulates-Generals in Shanghai, Guangzhou, Hong Kong and Chongqing, there are 6 NBSOs (or Netherlands Business Support Offices) in Dalian, Jinan, Qingdao, Nanjing, Chengdu and Wuhan.
In the coming days, a delegation of the economic government network will travel to four Dutch cities for talks with local companies around industries such as environmental protection, horticulture and smart cities.
