On the afternoon of March 25, 2026, Premier of the State Council Li Qiang had a phone call with Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten.

Li Qiang noted that since the establishment of the open and pragmatic partnership for comprehensive cooperation between China and the Netherlands over a decade ago, with the joint efforts of both sides, bilateral relations and cooperation have continued to deepen, with “openness and pragmatism” always being a defining feature, delivering tangible benefits to the two peoples. The current international situation is marked by growing instability, and unilateralism and protectionism are exerting a huge impact on the global economy. It is precisely at times like this that we must promote cooperation through openness and achieve win-win outcomes through pragmatism. China stands ready to work with the Netherlands to consolidate political mutual trust, uphold mutual respect and dialogue based on equality, expand mutually beneficial cooperation, and continuously inject new impetus into the common development of the two countries while contributing positive energy to world peace and prosperity.

Li Qiang pointed out that China and the Netherlands are important economic and trade partners to each other, and strengthening cooperation serves the common interests of both sides. With the implementation of China’s 15th Five-Year Plan, China’s economy is expected to reach a new level in the next five years, which will open up greater space for deepening economic and trade cooperation between China and the Netherlands. China is willing to strengthen exchanges at various levels with the Netherlands, make better use of dialogue mechanisms in such fields as economy, trade, and science and technology, further explore cooperation potential in areas including green development and innovation, and achieve a higher level of mutual benefit and win-win outcomes. China hopes that the Netherlands, as a long-standing important gateway for China-Europe cooperation and a core member of the European Union (EU), will play an active role in encouraging EU institutions to view China-Europe relations and cooperation in an objective and rational light, and work with China to properly resolve differences and issues through dialogue and consultation, thus promoting the sound and steady growth of China-EU relations.

Rob Jetten stated that China is an important trading partner of the Netherlands, and the Netherlands-China relationship is among the Netherlands’ most important bilateral ties. The bilateral relations have demonstrated strong momentum in recent years. The new Dutch government attaches great importance to its relations with China and stands ready to strengthen high-level exchanges with China, promote mutually beneficial cooperation in various fields including economy, trade, innovation, and climate response, jointly address global challenges, and safeguard common interests. Next year marks the 55th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the Netherlands and China at the ambassadorial level. The Netherlands is willing to work with China to make continuous new progress in the open and pragmatic partnership for comprehensive cooperation between the two countries. EU-China relations are of vital importance, and the Netherlands is ready to play a positive role in facilitating dialogue and cooperation between the two sides.