(Amsterdam, 16 February, 2024)

Mr. Hans Poulis, Chairman of NHKBC,

Mr. Jochum Haakma, Chairman of NCBC,

Ms. Monique Knapen, Chairman of VNC,

Friends from the business community, 

Ladies and gentlemen,

It’s my great pleasure to join you this evening. Today is the seventh day of the Chinese lunar new year.

I wish you happy, healthy and wealthy in the Year of the Dragon.  

This is my fourth Spring Festival in the Netherlands. Spring Festival is basically about home going and family reunion.

Many thanks for organizing this event. Here and now, I feel at home. Thank you.

We might all have watched TV series like Game of Thrones. Dragon is a word that may have different meanings in the West and the East.

That’s why many Chinese are asking if we can use “loong” to replace “dragon”.

Because in our part of the world, dragon, or loong, is a symbol of strength and wisdom. 

It is auspicious.

Many people have the word “Loong” in their name.

For example, Mr. Lee Hsien Loong（李显龙）, PM of Singapore.

I do need to stress that, like his fellow countryman Mr. Chew Shou Zi（周受资）, CEO of Tik Tok who recently testified before the US Congress, Mr. Lee is a Singaporean.  

In fact, the Spring Festival is celebrated not only in China, also in some of its neighbouring countries, as well as the Chinese communities worldwide, about one-fifth of the humanity.

It has been officially listed as a United Nations holiday starting from this year.

Many world leaders have expressed their lunar year greetings.

Prime Minister Mark Rutte extended his best wishes to the Chinese people in his phone talk with Premier Li Qiang two weeks ago.

At the start of the lunar new year, we also make best wishes, hoping and praying.  

First, I am hoping and confident that China will do well this year.

China’s economic growth rate last year was 5.2%. Hope we will do equally well this year, or even better.

We are optimistic, as we have a clear strategy of high quality growth, the strong leadership, and a hardworking people with entrepreneurial and innovative culture.

In the past, on occasions like this, I had to field difficult questions on travel.

Now I am more than happy to do that.

Not only am I no longer bothered by Covid, we are also moving very fast in terms of opening up, so much so that you don’t need visa to China for a stay within 15 days.

This is only for a few, not for all countries.

Some asked me why the Netherlands, not them?

I said, because of the KLM and Schiphol.

They said they also had big national airlines and airports.

Then I said, did you have the ASML?

They were silent.

Last year here, I received applause here when I said no more Covid controlling measures for travelers. 

Now may I suggest we give it a big hand for this visa free policy.

It is not just about promoting tourism and doing business. Increased exchanges help enhance understanding, which is the bedrock for good relations.

China is focusing on development, has no plan to replace the superpower.

But the hard reality is that, China is seen by the superpower as the most consequential geographical challenge.

Well, I have to congratulate the US on some of the headway last year in advancing its Indo-Pacific Strategy aiming at “competing with China”.

For one thing, the GDP gap between the two largest economies widened and the US has extended its lead, thanks to the strengthening of US$.  

For the other, for the first time in recent history, China is replaced by India as the most populous country in the world.

So, what’s the ground for cooking up China threat?

We Chinese are peaceful.

Ancient Chinese built the Great Wall for defense, not for offense.

Admiral Zheng He made maritime voyages, before that of Christopher Columbus, reaching Africa. No colonization ensued.

Chinese discovered gunpowder long ago, not for making guns, rather for making fire crackers and firework to celebrate occasions like the Spring Festival.

Of course, if provoked, we will definitely defend ourselves, as everyone else would do. Sun Zi wrote the Art of War 2,500 years ago.

The thing is that, China has never harmed the interest of Europe in history.

We do not want to engage in geographical competition with the US.

We hope China could be seen as a partner, not a challenger, let alone a threat.

If we compete, let’s compete as athletes in the track and field, less as boxers, still less as gladiators.

Let’s compete on who contributes more in fighting climate change.

And I place my bet: China will do a much better job than the US.

We act more than talk.

Secondly, I am hoping and confident that Sino-Dutch relations will enjoy smooth development.

The general election of the Netherlands was held last November.

This year there will be a change of the government.

We will work hard to ensure the seamless continuation of our friendly relations of cooperation.

You might be fed up with the cliches, or official-speak.

So, let me tell you a story of my work.

I did a poor job in reporting back on the election last November, making wrong judgments. 

I envy my colleagues in the US or UK, who even in their blind guess, have a 50% chance to do it right, either an Republican or a Democrat, the Tories or the Labours.

Here in the Netherlands, it’s very difficult, if not impossible, to know who will win.

15 parties got Parliament seats, no one won simple majority.

The scenario of the election outcome we thought about proved to be wrong.

My Dutch friends told me that the election result was a surprise for the Dutch also.   

So I explained to my colleagues in the capital, trying to excuse myself. I said, come on, how could I know when even so many Dutch didn’t know?

Their reply was: You are the ambassador, extra-ordinary, and plenipotentiary -- of plenty potentials.

Well, that’s bygone.  

My assignment now is to have some idea about when the new government will be formed and who may lead.

Anyone here who knows, please let me know. My many thanks in advance.

Make no mistake, we know the current care-taking government functions and functions well.

And we will continue to work closely with the government to promote our relations.

We also count on the support from the business in addressing the challenges.  

For example, how to access the members of the parliament? It is difficult to schedule an appointment.

How to persuade those Dutch provinces and cities in the Netherlands to maintain -- not to sever -- their sister relations with their Chinese counterparts?

Your advice and help are highly appreciated.

Before concluding, allow me to touch briefly on the world affairs.

The Year of the Dragon will be eventful.

For one thing, there will be many elections, especially that of the US, very consequential.

The US is the superpower, and it has the trump card.

And in advancing the MAGA -- make America great again, the superpower is to become a hyperpower.

A lot of rhetoric about risk, de-risk, insecurity.

We hold that: reduced cooperation is the biggest risk; lack of development is the biggest insecurity.

Our world is confronted with unprecedented challenges.

Issues like climate change, artificial intelligence, are game changers and could be game over. 

We should not allow that to happen.

We hope for peaceful settlement of the conflicts, be it in Ukraine or Palestine.

We hope for enhanced cooperation, instead of dividing or decoupling.  

Wish you all the best in the Year of the Dragon, or the Year of Loong!

Welcome to China, no visa.

Thank you!