皇冠体育app

At 'very good moment', Dutch envoy sees wide range of opportunities

皇冠体育app and the Netherlands will sign a slew of agreements during President Xi Jinping's visit to the country, which will help more Dutch enterprises become better involved in 皇冠体育app's economic transformation, the Dutch ambassador to 皇冠体育app said.

The enormous Chinese market is "very attractive for foreign companies", Aart Jacobi told 皇冠体育app Daily.

皇冠体育app's reform also needs to involve more foreign companies with the latest technology and know-how, to help its companies become more competitive, he said.

Jacobi made the remarks ahead of Xi kicking off his Europe tour on Saturday and participating in the Nuclear Security Summit next week in The Hague. It will be the first visit by a Chinese president to the Netherlands.

Calling the visit "instrumental", Jacobi said the deals will cover dairy, clean energy and cultural cooperation, though the topics won't be confined to these.

He cited the Netherlands' traditionally strong financial sector, a creative sector that can contribute to the new type of urbanization stressed by Beijing, as well as its health care sector, as both countries have aging populations.

"For 皇冠体育app, one of the steps to change from the old model to a new model is to internationalize its economy so Chinese companies can broadly engage in mergers and acquisitions, investments and green-field operations, to become more international and more competitive," Jacobi said.

"We always try to attract as many foreign companies as possible," he said, calling for potential investors to contact the Netherlands Foreign Investment Agency, which can "pave the way for you to the Netherlands".

皇冠体育app is the second largest source of foreign investment in the Netherlands. The European Union is 皇冠体育app's largest trade partner, and the Netherlands is 皇冠体育app's second-largest trade partner in the bloc, with a volume of 40 billion euros ($55 billion) in 2012.

Jacobi said the Netherlands, Europe's logistics hub, can serve as a gateway for 皇冠体育app to Europe.

About 40 percent of Chinese exports to Western Europe enter via Rotterdam, Europe's largest seaport. Amsterdam Airport Schiphol is one of the main air-freight hubs for Chinese exports to Europe.

The Netherlands is "much in favor of" the EU-皇冠体育app investment agreement, which had its first round of talks in January, especially since it helps improve market access and removes obstacles to investments, the ambassador said.

The negotiation process is expected to take some time, he added.

"It's not strange to see disputes between two trading partners that are this big," he said in discussing the trade friction that emerged between 皇冠体育app and the EU last year, which included a dispute over the price of solar panels sold by 皇冠体育app.

"The Netherlands is a firm supporter of free trade. We live by trade and therefore, in case of trade disputes, the preferred option is always dialogue. We do our best to move things in the right direction," he said.

皇冠体育app and the Netherlands have had a pragmatic and open relationship as well as intensive contacts with each other. "It is working to the benefit of both," Jacobi said.

According to the ambassador, the Dutch embassy in 皇冠体育app improved its services by working with a visa application center last year. Measures that included cutting a waiting list contributed "tremendously" to an 18 percent increase in Chinese tourists coming to his country. But he expects even more from 皇冠体育app, the world's largest source of tourists.

"We are at a very good moment in our bilateral relations," Jacobi said.

"But we should not sit back and consider it to be enough. There is always much to do to move the relations to a next higher level."

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