Sjoerd Sjoerdsma, Minister of Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation, is departing this afternoon for a three-day trade mission to China (7-9 July) that will take him to both Beijing and Shanghai. This marks the first time since April 2018 that a minister is leading a trade mission to China in person. The minister is accompanied by a business delegation comprising representatives from 17 Dutch companies, active in sectors including logistics, agriculture and high-tech. Coen van Oostrom, president of the Confederation of Netherlands Industry and Employers (VNO-NCW) is heading the business delegation.

Minister Sjoerd Sjoerdsma:‘Over the past few decades, we've built robust trade ties with China and our goal with this visit is to further strengthen our bilateral trade relationship. Raising points of concern is part of that. I look forward to meeting my counterpart Wang Wentao in Beijing and discussing common opportunities and challenges in the area of trade. Dutch businesses are already highly active in China, so I’m pleased that a number of them and VNO-NCW are travelling with us. I will make every effort to promote their interests here.’

VNO-NCW president Coen van Oostrom:‘We look forward to accompanying the minister to China. Our delegation is made up of a very diverse group of leading companies. Dutch businesses have been investing in China for decades. It is one of our most important markets and will continue to be so in the future. We’re keen to expand this trade relationship and hope the mission will be a success.’

Mr Sjoerdsma will visit the Chinese Ministry of Commerce in Beijing on 7 July for a bilateral dialogue with his counterpart Wang Wentao. Besides economic topics, the two ministers will also discuss the broader bilateral agenda for the relationship between the Netherlands and China. The Joint Economic Committee (JEC) will also convene on 7 July. This is a collaborative forum at ministerial level that aims to deepen the bilateral economic relationship with China. The last edition took place online in 2020. The JEC will be followed by a CEO roundtable, where Dutch and Chinese companies will discuss opportunities for and barriers to trade with the two ministers.

The mission will continue in Shanghai on Wednesday 8 and Thursday 9 July. The minister will meet with the city’s vice mayor and visit a number of Chinese and Dutch companies, including Paques. This Dutch company specialising in wastewater treatment is illustrative of the Dutch expertise that is in demand in China.