Dutch King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima talk as they attend the Sport 8 International Soccer Demonstration Class at Shijia Primary School in Beijing, China, on Oct. 25, 2015. (Photo: Xinhua/Li Jundong)
(ECNS) – King Willem-Alexander and Her Majesty Queen Máxima of the Netherlands are paying a state visit to China at the invitation of Chinese President Xi Jinping.
The visit will focus on bilateral cooperation in agriculture, food, the environment, sports and e-commerce. The royal couple is accompanied by Minister of Foreign Affairs Bert Koenders, Minister of Agriculture Sharon Dijksma and Martin van Rijn, State Secretary for Health, Welfare and Sport.
The King and Queen kicked off the visit on October 25 by visiting the Sino-Dutch Dairy Development Centre (SDDDC) just outside Beijing. The SDDDC is a dairy farm and research centre where Dutch and Chinese companies work together to develop the Chinese dairy sector.
The royal couple also attended a football training session where Dutch and Chinese trainers work with young football players using Dutch training and coaching methods. China is keen to introduce football training into the primary and secondary school curriculum.
Their agenda in Beijing also includes visiting the Dutch pavilion at Beijing Design Week in Dashilar, meeting with Chinese and Dutch representatives, and joining a round table meeting of Dutch and Chinese CEOS on sustainable growth.
After that the couple will visit the Loess Plateau and an apple farm there. The Loess Plateau is an example of how a landscape that was destroyed through erosion can be ecologically and economically restored.
The couple will then fly to Shanghai and Hangzhou. In Shanghai, they will visit CELAP, the Chinese national training institute for high-ranking public officials, and give a speech. The King and Queen will then visit a special reserve in Chongming Island for migratory birds and a model greenhouse equipped by Dutch companies.
The King will also visit the Shanghai Free Trade Zone, participate in a seminar on the One Belt One Road initiative, and attend a reception with Dutch companies and their Chinese business partners.
In Hangzhou, a trip to the Alibaba campus will be highlighted. The King will discuss Dutch e-commerce initiatives and the launch of the online sales channel "Holland Pavilion" on Tmall.
The state visit will last until October 29.
