On March 13, 2026, Member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Foreign Minister Wang Yi had a phone call with Dutch Foreign Minister Tom Berendsen at the latter's request.

Wang Yi congratulated Tom Berendsen on assuming the new post, saying that China and the Netherlands are important partners for each other. Advancing mutually beneficial cooperation with an open and pragmatic spirit serves the common interests of both sides, contributes to the healthy development of China-EU relations, and promotes the stability and security of global industrial and supply chains. China appreciates the positive signals from the new Dutch government regarding its emphasis on relations with China. China’s foreign policy remains consistent and stable, and China stands ready to strengthen exchanges and communication with the Dutch side, enhance mutual understanding and trust, and continuously deepen the open and pragmatic partnership for comprehensive cooperation.

Wang Yi briefed on the recently concluded Two Sessions, stating that China will steadily take the initiative to open wider and expand opening up at the institutional level, bringing more opportunities to countries around the world, including the Netherlands. China-Netherlands economic and trade cooperation features complementary advantages and mutual benefits. Wang Yi expressed the hope that the new Dutch government will demonstrate new vitality and initiatives, adhere to independence and self-reliance, and support normal economic and trade exchanges between enterprises of both countries. China hopes that the Dutch side would encourage EU institutions to view China objectively and rationally, uphold the positioning of China and the EU as partners, and commit to openness and cooperation.

Tom Berendsen said that the new Dutch government highly appreciates China’s rapid development achievements and views relations with China as one of its most important bilateral relationships. The Dutch side is willing to maintain high-level exchanges with the Chinese side, make good use of mechanisms such as political consultations between the foreign ministries and the Sino-Dutch Joint Economic and Trade Committee, strengthen dialogue and exchanges at all levels, and deepen pragmatic cooperation in areas including climate change and water resource management, jointly upholding multilateralism and continuously advancing the open and pragmatic partnership for comprehensive cooperation between the Netherlands and China to new heights. The Dutch side stands ready to play a constructive role in promoting the healthy and stable development of EU-China relations.

The two sides also had an exchange of views on the Ukraine crisis.