The Netherlands Adheres to One-China Policy, Supports China's WTO Membership

Li Lanqing Holds Talks with Netherlands Vice Prime Minister

The government of the Netherlands promised to China Monday that it will continue to uphold the one-China policy and actively support China's bid to join the World Trade Organization.

In her meeting with visiting Chinese Vice Premier Li Lanqing, Vice Prime Minister Annemarie Jorritsma-Lebbink, who is also minister for economic affairs, said the government of the Netherlands attaches great importance to developing ties with China.

She noted that in recent years, with the joint efforts of the two governments, economic and trade relations between the two countries developed rapidly, featuring many successful projects. In the meantime, cooperation between the two countries in the field of science and technology was strengthened, she added. She said that the current official visit to the Netherlands by the Chinese vice premier will help push forward the bilateral relations.

Li Lanqing, who arrived Sunday on a three-day official visit, agreed with his Holland counterpart, appreciating what he described as "fruitful" cooperation between China and the Netherlands in the areas of economy and trade, science and technology, culture and education.

He said that the Chinese government will continue to work together with the Dutch government to further strengthen bilateral cooperation in every possible field on the basis of mutual benefit because this is in the long-term interests of the two nations. In their talks, the Chinese vice premier also stressed that the process of economic globalization should be pushed forward in a healthy way.

In this regard, he said that efforts should be made to promote multi-polarization of the world and to maintain the interests of the developing countries.

He stressed that it is the obligation of the developed nations to try to alleviate the debt burden of the developing nations and truly open their markets to the products from the developing countries.

As diversified the world is, Li said, the differences among nations in their social systems, culture, history, and stages of economic development should be respected.

Only by doing so can countries in the world co-exist peacefully and achieve common development, he said.