Dutch Ambassador to China Aart Jacobi gave an exclusive interview with Xinhuanet on March 13, 2014. (Xinhuanet Photo)
Chinese President Xi Jinping's upcoming visit to the Netherlands in late March will give further impetus to the bilateral relations between China and the European country, Dutch Ambassador to China Aart Jacobi said.
The Netherlands is the first leg of Xi's visit to Europe, a symbol of the very good relations between the two countries, the ambassador said in an exclusive interview with Xinhuanet last week.
The Netherlands is eagerly looking forward to the Chinese leader's visit, during which the two sides are expected to sign important agreements, Jacobi said.
Jacobi said the visit "will give direction to the bilateral relations from now on and give further impetus and positive influence for the intensification of our relations."
Since the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and the Netherlands in 1972, bilateral ties have achieved substantial progress.
He said that frequent high-level visits, economic cooperation, and cultural and people-to-people exchanges all bear witness to the intensive relationship between the two countries.
The Netherlands is willing to enhance cooperation with China in various fields, especially in agriculture, as the European country is the second largest exporter of agricultural products in the world, Jacobi added.
The Netherlands has been China's second biggest trade partner in the European Union , next to Germany, for the past decade.
With a friendly investment environment and an attractive fiscal climate, the Dutch side is looking forward to seeing more Chinese companies to invest, Jacobi said.
Here, he added, 600-700 Dutch companies have established business in China.
On the front of cultural exchanges, the Netherlands and China have carried out close cooperation in the film sector and museum management, Jacobi said, adding that there is still room left in this area.
In other areas, such as China's urbanization drive, he suggested that the Dutch experiences and Chinese knowhow could be combined to achieve better results.
