Chinese President Xi Jinping sends a greeting on Chinese National Day last year / Yonhap News file photo
In a meeting with Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte on the 27th, Chinese President Xi Jinping stated, “Artificially creating technological barriers and shutting down industries and supply chains will only lead to division and confrontation.”
According to China Central Television, President Xi, who met with Prime Minister Rutte on a working visit to China at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, said, “A truly safe world must be a world of deep integration and interdependence.”
President Xi’s remarks are interpreted as a warning not to join the US-led front against China, aimed at the Netherlands, which owns the global semiconductor equipment manufacturer ASML.
President Xi’s remarks are interpreted as warning the Netherlands, which owns global semiconductor equipment manufacturer ASML, not to join the US-led front against China.
He continued, “Decoupling (separation of supply chains, etc.) has no exit,” emphasizing that open cooperation is the only choice.
He added, “China has always considered the black-and-white, binary thinking of ‘you must lose for me to win’ as outdated,” and said, “Chinese people have the legitimate right to develop, and no force can stop China’s scientific and technological development and progress.”
This is interpreted as expressing the will to break through, even if the West, including the United States, tries to hinder China’s development by controlling the export of advanced technology to China and strengthening self-reliance in science and technology.
Regarding the relationship between China and the Netherlands, President Xi positively evaluated the relationship, saying, “It is stable and rapidly developing, and cooperation in various fields is continuously deepening.”
He stated, “China is willing to increase imports of high-quality (high-tech) products from the Netherlands,” and welcomed Dutch companies investing in China, expressing hope that the Netherlands would provide a fair and transparent business environment for Chinese companies.
He also suggested that while actively promoting traditional cooperation in agriculture, water conservancy, and energy, both countries should explore potential cooperation in fields such as artificial intelligence, green transition, and the silver industry.
In addition, he asked the Netherlands to actively promote mutual understanding between China and Europe and achieve constructive development.
In response, Prime Minister Rutte said, “Decoupling is not a policy option for the Dutch government,” adding, “Any measures that harm China’s developmental interests will also harm our interests.”
“The Netherlands cherishes its friendly relationship with China,” and “We are willing to deepen our partnership with China and strengthen cooperation in areas such as people-to-people exchanges, economy and trade, and carbon emission reduction,” he continued, According to the CCTV.
Prime Minister Rutte also expressed his gratitude for China’s visa exemption for the Netherlands for up to 15 days on a trial basis for one year from December 1 last year.
Prime Minister Rutte, who took office in 2006 and is the longest-serving Prime Minister in Dutch history, dissolved his coalition government in July last year over infighting and abruptly announced his retirement from politics. This is expected to be his last visit.
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