Original Written by Wang Yan
Focus on one of the dutch feature stories
Why is the prospect of cooperation between the two countries optimistic? Why is it that a large number of cooperation opportunities are beckoning to enterprises of the two countries? What has the Consulate General of the Netherlands in Shanghai done recently? What are your plans for the future? Consul General Ms. Guo Meiyao has been working and living in China for many years, what is her "China feeling"?
The prospects for cooperation between the two countries are optimistic #
International Market: Please briefly introduce the exchanges and cooperation between China and the Netherlands.
Consul General: Let's start with education. Every year, many Chinese students go to the Netherlands to study, and there are currently about 5,000 Chinese students pursuing degree programs in the Netherlands, as well as many Chinese students participating in short-term exchange programs in the Netherlands. The 13 public research universities in the Netherlands, all ranked within the top 200 in the world, are our strengths. In fact, China ranks third in the number of international students studying in the Netherlands after Germany and Italy. We have noticed that the number of students from China is increasing every year, which is a manifestation of the friendly relations between the two countries. Of course, this also benefits from various optimization measures in the Netherlands in terms of study abroad education. Of course, we very much encourage Dutch students to study in China, and we would like to see more Dutch students come to China to have a look. In the past two years, despite the epidemic, the Netherlands has welcomed all students from China. Unfortunately, Dutch students cannot come to China, but this is actually very important for promoting exchanges between the two countries.
International Market: How about economic and trade cooperation between the two countries?
Consul General: Although the pandemic has had a big impact on the global economy, I would like to say that Dutch companies actually performed very well last year. The 2021 Sino Benelux Business Survey, the most active Benelux business platform in China with members from leading companies in the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg, shows that the confidence of Dutch companies in the Chinese market is increasing, which is a very positive sign. We have also noticed that the performance of a Dutch company in China depends largely on the industry in which it is located, and those industries mentioned in the Chinese government's 14th Five-Year Plan that help promote the development of the national economy and people's livelihood have better development prospects.
Trade data between the two countries is still impressive. In 2020, the Netherlands exports of goods to China are 14 billion euros, imports of more than 44 billion euros, imports are very large; the scale of service trade between the two countries is relatively small, the Netherlands exports of services trade to China is 3.5 billion euros, imports of 2.2 billion euros. The above data show that the trade relationship between the two countries is extremely close. For the Netherlands, China is the third largest export destination outside the European Union, after the United Kingdom and the United States, while for China, the Netherlands is the seventh largest import destination. According to the World Economic Cooperation Organization, 1/3 of the world's economic growth will come from China in the future, which I expect will be a good way to strengthen the trade relationship between the Netherlands and China. I have every reason to believe that the prospects for cooperation between the two countries are optimistic.
# A large number of cooperation opportunities are beckoning to enterprises of the two countries #
International Market: In your opinion, in which areas do Chinese and Dutch companies have better potential for development?
Consul General: We are always trying to find areas that can enhance cooperation between the two countries and at the same time are the areas of expertise and interest of Dutch companies. China has a wealth of experience in many areas of innovation, a world leader, and Dutch companies can learn from it, such as solar energy, artificial intelligence and other fields, which is why foreign companies are keen to cooperate with China.
The Netherlands is known for innovation, ranking among the top ten most innovative countries in the world, for example, in smart agriculture, energy transformation, semiconductors and other fields, Dutch companies have rich experience, they also very much want to strengthen cooperation with China in these areas, while complementing each other's advantages to achieve strong cooperation. Many large Dutch companies, such as ASML Holding N.V and Philips, have been rooted in China for many years, and architectural design firms such as MVRDV, UNStudio, KCAP also have offices in China, and they are also seeking more opportunities to continue to cooperate with China in a deep and multi-field manner.
International Market: Can you elaborate?
Consul General: Absolutely. In the field of smart agriculture, the Netherlands is the world's second largest exporter in terms of agricultural products, technology and equipment. Considering that China is a populous country and it is very challenging to feed 1.4 billion people with limited land cultivation, we would very much like to strengthen cooperation with China in this area; another area is the energy transition, such as hydrogen energy use, carbon capture and storage. We strongly support the Green Initiative of the World Climate Conference and China's goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2060. The Shanghai Municipal Government also said that by 2025, Shanghai's total carbon emissions will strive to peak, which can be seen that this is an ambitious city, I believe they can achieve, and we want to make our own contribution in this regard; in the field of sustainable finance, Amsterdam has always been known as the world's green financial center, and Shanghai is the capital of green bonds, and the two cities have a lot to cooperate in this regard, such as standard setting.
Interestingly, many Dutch companies use the Chinese market as their innovation and competitiveness training center, because China has a mature and perfect supply chain system, because China is open to innovation, can provide a favorable environment for innovators, and once the innovative ideas are landed, they can quickly expand the scale, and it is very easy and convenient to innovate in China.
For both countries, I believe that companies should benefit from a stable business environment. China is currently moving in the direction of a technology-based, knowledge-based economy, which has also led to a growing interest in the Chinese market by Dutch companies.
# The actions of the consulate in cultural and economic and trade fields #
International Market: Please share with us what the consulate has done to promote bilateral relations.
Consul General: In order to facilitate Chinese students to study in the Netherlands smoothly, the Embassy has a special education specialist responsible for providing all kinds of practical information about Dutch life, and will also publish information about the Dutch Orange Tulip Scholarship (OTS) on various social software such as the embassy's official WeChat, Weibo, Twitter, LinkedIn and other social software. They also keep in touch with interested students and Dutch alumni to participate in improving higher education collaborations in the Netherlands.
As we all know, Dutch culture is famous for its diversity and inclusiveness, drama, dance, music and other forms of cultural expression have blossomed everywhere in the Netherlands, NDT Dutch Dance Theatre, Dutch National Ballet, Amsterdam Royal Orchestra, etc. are well-known cultural representatives of the Netherlands. Dutch photography is also famous, such as the famous photographer Erwin Olaf. They all came to Shanghai before the pandemic. Based on this, the promotion of cultural exchanges has also become one of the main tasks of the Consulate General of the Netherlands.
Speaking of which, it is necessary to mention the World Press Photo, which was organized by the World Press Photo Foundation, founded in 1955. Since it originated in the Netherlands, there is also a familiar name in China - "Jose". Since the first edition was held in 1957, the "Lotus Race" has been held once a year, and has been held for 63 times so far. In 2020, the Consulate General launched a special exhibition of the winning works in the nature and environment category of the 2018-2020 World Press Photo Contest, exhibiting 36 groups and 92 photographs in a month's time. We hope that in the future, the consulate can continue to promote cultural exchanges between the two countries by holding similar events.
During the epidemic, in order to enable Chinese friends to understand Dutch culture more intuitively and uninterruptedly, the Dutch Embassy in China launched a new online cultural platform "Dutch Art Line" on Tencent Art Channel. New videos are released every week, covering design, vision, dance, music and other cultural and artistic fields, and the number of visits is not bad.
International Market: Dutch culture is unique.
Consul General: Of course, we are more focused on economic and trade promotion work, we have a special department focused on improving and expanding investment in the Netherlands and promoting innovative exchanges between the two countries, as well as providing necessary assistance to Chinese enterprises.
A few days ago, I hosted an entrepreneurs' dinner with Roland Brouwer, chief representative of China affairs of the Dutch Foreign Investment Agency, at the official residence, which was attended by representatives from 9 Chinese companies. The nine companies are from different fields such as heavy machinery, renewable energy, life sciences, electronics, environment and Internet of Things, most of them are from East China and have been working in the Netherlands for many years, and some companies have set up European headquarters in the Netherlands. The Netherlands' stable political environment, open economic policies, and easy access to the rest of Europe, the Netherlands' international business climate, favorable tax policies, advanced logistics infrastructure, highly educated and multilingual workforce resources and extraordinary quality of life have all won the favor of Chinese enterprises. During the dinner, business representatives shared their experience in doing business in the Netherlands, especially in talent acquisition, cross-border travel, cross-cultural exchange and so on.
Just as every coin has two sides, there are opportunities under the pandemic, and now is a good time to drive corporate transformation and shifts in mindset at work, and investors are expressing a positive attitude towards the future of the Netherlands. I am also very happy to have such an opportunity to communicate with Chinese enterprises.
International Market: Does the consulate have any work plans to share with us in the New Year?
Consul General: The 2022 Winter Olympics is a great event we are looking forward to, in fact, it is an opportunity for global connectivity. Therefore, I believe that the consulate will pay more attention to cooperation in the field of sports, not only in competitive sports and cultivating professional sports talents, but also in the field of public, especially in the field of youth sports. It is worth mentioning that 2022 marks the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the Netherlands and China, and our embassies and consulates in China will organize various cultural, economic and other activities throughout the year, especially on May 18, the day of the establishment of diplomatic relations. Throughout the year, we will focus on the practical significance of the 50 years of diplomatic relations: cooperation, people-to-people exchanges, culture, education, exchanges in the field of innovation, trade and investment, and personal stories. In the spring of 2022, we will start with a floral installation project. This is a floral installation in the shape of the 50th anniversary of our diplomatic relations, which will be exhibited in Guangzhou, Shanghai, Beijing and Dafeng, Yancheng, Jiangsu Province. Keep an eye on our social media to find out when you can attend!
# What it's like to work and live in China for years #
International Market: Which city do you think Shanghai and the Netherlands are more similar?
Consul General: Shanghai and Rotterdam are sister cities, they both have their own ports, and there are many architects from Rotterdam who are active in Shanghai. I think the mayor of Rotterdam would really like to come to Shanghai once a year when conditions permit. The ties between the sister cities and the close port ties make the distance between the two cities very close, and from the Dutch point of view, we will also strive to maintain this state of affairs. As a Dutchman, I think that no city in the Netherlands can compare with Shanghai in terms of the size of the city or the number of people, but as a coastal city, with an open and welcoming attitude to the outside world, our city and Shanghai can still communicate and cooperate together.
Speaking of sister cities, Nanjing and Eindhoven in the Netherlands are also sister cities. I used to study in Nanjing, and I remember the black cat restaurant next to the school that sold hamburgers and the scene when I rode to the Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall on a hot summer day. These are my fond memories. If I have the opportunity to go to Nanjing, I must go back to those places in my memory.
In order to further strengthen communication with the Chinese market, I very much hope to see that foreigners can be allowed to enter the country as soon as possible. Because of entry restrictions, many multinational companies have been delayed. Now, the longer we isolate ourselves from each other, the less we know about other countries, and it's easy to get carried away. So, we need to walk around to improve understanding, which is very important. Many companies in the Netherlands are also looking forward to the day when they will visit China.
International Market: You have been in China for so many years, we would love to hear your thoughts.
Consul General: It's really a pleasure and an honor to live in Shanghai, and what I love and amaze most about the city is the efficient and fast public transportation. I haven't experienced the software taxi so far, because I think cycling in Shanghai is particularly good, especially in Shanghai, which is very windy, and it is a very happy thing to go out and ride on weekends. On weekends I enjoy cycling to historic places in Pudong and Puxi, and the scenery along the way is stunning.
1989 was my first visit to Shanghai, and the speed of Shanghai's development was amazing. Chinese I get the impression of being able to adapt to changes very quickly. Now people's lives are very convenient, especially the emergence of mobile phones has brought great convenience to people's lives, but also made the connection between people more close, it seems that mobile phones have been omnipotent. My experience is very profound is that I can directly check the results of my nucleic acid test in the hospital from my mobile phone. But while enjoying the convenience that mobile phones bring us, I also worry that if the mobile phone runs out of power or the network goes down, then we will not be able to do anything. So I would put my phone aside at night and on weekends and do something else I wanted to do, and I didn't want my life to be dominated by my phone. Of course, the progress of science and technology is a very good thing for the development of the country and the city. But in my opinion, work-life balance should also be a topic that needs to be paid attention to and discussed.
I stayed in Guangzhou for 4 years and I found that Guangzhou and Shanghai have great complementarity. Shanghai is a service-oriented metropolis, more cosmopolitan than Guangzhou, which is somewhat more laid-back and has a slower pace of life. Shanghai's urban pace is very fast, and because of this, many new things have been spawned, which is also the source of Shanghai's innovative vitality.
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