Remarks by Ambassador Tan Jian at NAHSS 2022 Closing Ceremony
2022/12/14

Remarks by Ambassador Tan Jian at NAHSS 2022 Closing Ceremony

(14 October, 2022, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, The Hague)

Dear Karin, Director of Asia and Oceania,

NAHSS students,

Friends and colleagues,

(Greetings)

Good afternoon. Good Friday afternoon!

I have visited this building for countless times since my arrival, one year and nine months ago. Numerous meetings with Karin, discussing a variety of issues including the thorny ones.   

Today, I come here to meet NAHSS students.

Let’s have a relaxed time this Friday afternoon.  

(Farewell to Counselor Luo)

I am joined by my colleagues: Counselor Luo Ping, Mr Liang Yan, both from the education section of the Embassy.

Counselor Luo knows the NL well. He has worked in the NL for two terms, 3-4 years each. This is his second term; and I believe the NL could be his second home.

But he is leaving in a week.

In fact today is his last working day, this event his last official function, not only as the counselor of the Embassy, also as a civil servant of the Chinese government.

He has retired.  

The Counselor has many legacies, among which, he has placed the exchanges between NAHSS and the Chinese Embassy firmly in the working agenda of the Embassy.

I wish to thank Counselor Luo for his passion for and contribution to Sino-Dutch education cooperation, and his support of the NAHSS project.

May I invite all of you to give the Counselor a big hand.

(Features of our work with NAHSS)

Dear colleagues,  

Counselor Luo and his team have been working with NAHSS over the past two years for dialogues between us.

I have taken note of some features of how they did the good job.

Feature One: They started by highlighting the relevance of the exchanges with NAHSS, before going to the details of the work.

The rationale was that, if the staff in the Embassy could reach a shared understanding of its significance, we would then have a solid foundation for internal coordination; thus the rest of the work would be much easier.

Then, what is the value of this exchange?

Our guests and visitors are students. You are young, and you are the future. The Embassy should therefore embrace the opportunity of exchanges.

So, it was important to know the importance, first thing first.

And it was with this consensual understanding that relevant staff of the Embassy got mobilized.

Feature Two: Counselor Luo tried to get the ambassador -- that was me -- involved.  

The rationale was that, in China it is held that the most powerful driving force is the attention, the personal involvement of the No.1.  

Counselor Luo said to me: if the ambassador was in the driving seat, then all green lights down the road, all downhill in our internal coordination.

The education sector of the Embassy was the focal point in the preparation. And they made the maximum use of the ambassador’s support, to leverage other sections in the Embassy to contribute.

I know in doing a project in the west, you also discuss the methodology issue. 

Here, I am giving you a taste about Chinese way of doing things effectively and efficiently, which you may call it Chinese characteristics or Chinese wisdom.

Wisdom or not, it’s in the eye of beholder.

I know there were regrets.

Like, you were not able to visit China thanks to its Covid restricting measures. 

Our discussion was changed to online at the last minute.

Well, it was because there were Covid cases in the Embassy before the scheduled meeting.

There is room for improvement.

We are open to your comments and suggestions.

We will do it better next time.

(China, bilateral relations)

Dear students,

I do appreciate your keen interest to learn more about the developing world, about Asia, about China.

I understand you must have a lot of questions.

Allow me to take this opportunity to briefly mention three.

First, what will be China’s policy in the coming years?

The governing party’s national congress, once in every five years, will be convened in two days time. It will elaborate its domestic and international policies, against the backdrop of turbulent global situation.

I can’t prejudge and jump the gun. But I am sure that our policies will be basically consistent.

China will stay focused on its own development, is not interested in geopolitical competition.

China will not waver in its reform and opening up, only deeper and wider.

Second, what about the “dynamic zero-Covid” measure?

No doubt this policy has its positive side. Less than 6,000 Chinese died of Covid as compared to more than 1 million Americans, bearing in mind that China’s medical conditions are much weaker. There are only 3.7 Intensive Care Unit or ICU in short per 10,000 people in China as compared to 27 in the US.

Of course, it comes at a price. We are making great efforts to balance growing the economy and protecting life.

I believe the Covid restricting measures will be eased, maybe in a gradual way.

Third, will China be aggressive and become a hegemony?

China is the most populous country and the second largest economy.

Hope people will not feel intimidated simply by its sheer size and raw weight.

China is peace loving.

We are not the 800 pound gorilla, nor the sleeping lion.

We are the panda, bamboo-eating, vegetarian panda.

I know many are unconvinced.

I invite you to take a look at the thousands-of-years long history and see if China has done anything that harmed the fundamental interest of the Europe.

(Bilateral relations)

This year 2022 marks the 50th anniversary of the establishment of our diplomatic relations.

Looking back, a lot of accomplishment. Like, our trade volume has grown 1,700 times, from less than 69 million US$ in 1972 to over 116 billion in 2021. I bet for the NL this record will remain unbroken forever.

Looking ahead, we will work to maintain the momentum and bring it to a new high.

But we need to reach out and work hard to enhance understanding and build trust.

It is along this line that we are happy to receive you.

We are ready to talk on any issue of your interest -- not to convince or convert, but to share with you our perspectives. 

Whether the glass is full, or empty, or half, it is up to you to judge and form your view.

The reality is that, China and Europe are far away from each other, each might have its own perceptions.

For instance, Europe sees itself as the center, China is the “far east”.

Likewise, we see ourselves as the center, and China literally means “the Middle Kingdom” or “Central Kingdom”.

Let’s talk, and talk more.

I do hope that after NAHSS, your interest will take hold, and take root.

(In conclusion)

Dear friends and colleagues,

The world is undergoing major changes, and is at a cross-roads. Peace or war, unity or division, cooperation or confrontation, multilateralism or unilateralism.

Challenges like climate and Covid mean that we share our fate in the same boat, and should build our shared future together.

I am optimistic about the future, one reason is because of you -- young and open-minded.

I feel young when joining you. Well, I am 57 years young.

In three years time I will retire, like Counselor Luo.

We both have become firm advocates for Sino-Dutch friendship, and will continue to work to promote our relations, retired or not.

I wish to conclude by welcoming NAHSS to visit the Chinese Embassy the next time.

Our door is always open to you.

Thank you and have a good weekend.