Dutch diplomatic ties with China at 35

BEIJING – Dutch Foreign Affairs minister Maxime Verhagen and his Chinese counterpart Yang Jiechi recently signed a declaration in which the parties agree to foster their mutual relations. The pair took 2,5 hours out of their schedule to discuss matters of concern, including human rights in China. Verhagen urged the Chinese to help resolve the crisis in the Sudanese region of Dafur. China is a major investor in and trading partner of Sudan. For its part, China inquired about the Dutch position on the EU arms-boycott of China. The Dutch do not oppose curtailing it as such but do not think it is appropriate at this point, due to the human rights situation in China and the lack of stability in the ’region.’ The Dutch are China’s second trading partner, and are celebrating their 35th anniversary of the diplomatic relations with China.