(25 September 2024, The Hague)
Mr. Tjerk Opmeer,
Excellency Ambassador Fernando Arias,
Excellencies, Distinguished guests,
Dear friends, Ladies and gentlemen,
Good evening!
Thank you very much for coming to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China.
October the 1st, 1949 was a historic day for China.
China has undergone a profound and remarkable transformation since its founding.
Notwithstanding the three times expansion of its population, China’s per capita GDP increased from less than $100 to $12,600 over the past 75 years.
Hundreds of millions of people have been lifted out of poverty over the past decade.
China now has a middle-income group that exceeds 400 million people.
It is the second largest economy in the world.
It has remained the world’s largest trader in goods for 7 years running;
and the world’s largest exporter and second-largest importer for 15 consecutive years.
It has been among the world’s top three sources of outbound investment for 11 years in a row.
Distinguished guests,
I wish to highlight that, what we have been pursuing is not just economic growth, rather, sustainable development.
I just came back from my vacation in China. I visited the west part of China, the roof of the world where many big rivers like the Yangzi River, the Yellow River and trans-boundary rivers like the Mekong River are originated.
People in the region has prioritized ecological and environmental protection, firmly believing that lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets, NOT minerals or timber.
Today we are very happy to be joined by a delegation from Gansu, a province in west China. People there have been working hard to protect cultural traditions, promote tourism, develop in an eco-friendly way.
Let me give you an example. They are experimenting with a pilot project to fight desert expansion.
They set up a lot of solar panels. In addition to generating green electricity, the panels also slow the wind, create shade, which help grow grass, raise sheep. Washing the panels is also watering the grass, and animal waste fertilize the land.
Disadvantages are turned into advantages.
Desert is no longer a lifeless land.
This is what China is busy doing.
This is sustainable development.
This is harmony between human and nature.
Excellencies,
China is a strong force for international cooperation. We aim for a community with a shared human future.
China has put forward major global initiatives on development, security and dialogue among civilizations.
It is the second largest contributor to the UN regular budget and peacekeeping budget, to that of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons.
It firmly supports the international system with the UN as its core, the international order with international law as its basis, the multilateral trading system with the WTO as its corner stone, a world free of chemical weapons with the implementation of the Chemical Weapons Convention as the foundation.
China does not seek to change the current international order,
still less reinvent the wheel by creating a new international order.
I just wish to make this clear, as people might have heard a lot of smears.
China is for strengthening south-south cooperation.
China-African cooperation forum was held in Beijing early this month.
It is not for geopolitical purposes, it’s for the modernization of the Global South.
China supports sustainable development of Africa; does not interfere in Africa’s internal affairs, attaches no political strings in economic cooperation.
China is also open for tripartite cooperation, willing and ready to explore with you the three-party cooperation projects.
Climate change is one of the biggest threats to humanity. China is a responsible player in combating climate change.
In 2023, China accounted for an extraordinary 63% of global net additions in total renewable capacity.
Almost two-thirds of big wind and solar plants under construction globally are in China.
China is on course to meet its climate goals -- carbon peaking before 2030 and carbon neutrality before 2060.
As the above examples, facts and figures show, we are making strenuous efforts in green transition.
We do this, not because of outside pressure, but because of our belief that this is a serious business, good for us and for the world.
China is part of the solution. And we are doing our part.
Hope countries in the west could appreciate our contribution, and let’s join hands.
Dear friends,
The Third Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the CPC held in mid-July made it very clear that China will not waver in its state policy of reform and opening up, only deeper, wider and breaking new ground.
We are on the course of Chinese modernization, along the road of building socialism with Chinese characteristics.
This is an important conference, the significance of which should not be underestimated.
China is to promote high-level development, further improve the ease of doing business.
It has adopted the new blueprint for China’s development, with over 300 important reform measures, to be completed in five years time before 2029.
The details of many issues in the Blueprint are being fleshed out.
For instances, in addition to the unilateral visa-free arrangement, early this month, China announced to allow the establishment of wholly foreign-owned hospitals in some big cities across the country.
China is to eliminate all restrictions on the foreign investment in manufacturing sectors.
China will stay attractive to international investors, continue to be the engine for global growth, create more opportunities for the rest of the world.
Dear colleagues,
This year 2024 marks the 10th anniversary of the establishment of the open and pragmatic partnership for comprehensive cooperation between our two countries.
Our bilateral trade volume has surpassed $100 billion for three consecutive years.
The Netherlands is China’s second largest trading partner among all EU countries;
and China is one of the Netherlands’ largest trading partners outside the EU.
This is a win-win relationship, bringing tangible benefits to our two peoples.
Many fellow Chinese ask me: why it is the Dutch semiconductor company that can make the most complicated machine in the world?
Well, maybe it’s partially because Dutch make and eat a lot of wafers（华夫饼，晶圆）. ASML’s success could be rooted in your love for wafer.
Also, some Dutch friends ask me: why China is strong in manufacturing?
Well, maybe partially because we Chinese eat with chopsticks and are therefore dexterous; fingers nimble.
Some Chinese pianists can move their fingers extremely fast on the keyboard.
China is an important link in the global supply chain, including in the semiconductor industry.
China is also one of the largest consumer markets.
There exists great potential. So much to trade, our economies could complement each other.
What’s more, we both embrace globalization, embrace free and fair trade.
Let’s ensure the safety of the global supply chain.
Let’s ensure the smooth development of our bilateral relations.
Security concerns are legitimate, provided not abused for geopolitical gains.
China attaches great importance to its relations with the Netherlands.
The then caring-taking Prime Minister Mark Rutte visited China in last March.
We will work closely with the new Dutch government to ensure that our relations going forward, not backward.
Me and colleagues in the Embassy will continue to facilitate official exchanges
and in-depth dialogues.
We are also promoting exchanges at all levels, business visits, people-to-people connectivity.
You may have watched the videos of the panda cub and panda mother on screen.
Last year, right here, around this time, we bid farewell to the baby panda Fan Xing“梵星”. She is living a good life in China now.
Fan Xing’s parents, the two giant pandas, Wu Wen“武雯” and Xing Ya“星雅”, have just had their new Panda cub, their second child
We still don’t know whether it’s a boy or a girl. We will name the baby panda in the coming weeks.
Your suggestions are welcome.
The Netherlands is a fertile and productive land, a good land.
Sino-Dutch cooperation can bear more fruits.
Dear friends,
We are very sober-minded of the challenges, like protectionism, decoupling, geopolitics, camp-confrontation, or a new cold war.
Still, I am optimistic.
China is building a higher-standard open economy.
Our market is super-large.
I see huge opportunities for the Netherlands and the rest of the world.
Our people are hard working.
Well, some may work too hard, from 9 am to 9 pm, six days a week, a catch phrase called 996 in China today.
This is unforced labour, I must say.
And the Chinese government is formulating policies so that people could have more leisure time, and young people could date, conceive and care babies.
Most importantly, development is our top priority!
The central task for the governing party and government is to meet the growing need of the 1.4 billion Chinese people for a better life.
We hope that China’s per capita GDP could be on par with that of a mid-level developed countries in ten years’ time.
This is by no means an easy task, requiring great efforts.
Which also means we have no interest in geopolitical competition.
China is not and will not become a hegemon.
We will definitely defend our sovereignty and territorial integrity. We ask countries in the west to keep their promise of observing the one-China principle.
Yet make no mistake, China is committed to peace, development and cooperation.
Peaceful development has been written into China’s constitution.
How could we lose sight to the unprecedented challenges like climate, covid, artificial intelligence, which require unprecedented international cooperation?
China is not a rival, nor a challenge, let alone a threat.
We are partners.
In closing, I want to thank each and every one of you for being here tonight.
I wish to propose a toast:
To the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China,
To the development of Sino-Dutch relations,
To the strengthening of international cooperation,
To your health and happiness,
and to more baby pandas here,
Cheers! Proost!
Thank you, and enjoy the evening, the show, the food, and the wafers.