Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao started his official visit to the Netherlands Tuesday. He is expected to witness the signing of several cooperation pacts between the two countries. This historic visit has widely been viewed as the latest boost to help put this relationship on the fast track.

China is to sign cooperation agreements on science and technology, customs and other areas, Chinese Ambassador to the Netherlands Xue Hanqin told Xinhua this week.

"The bilateral relationship has been growing and developing at an unexpectedly fast speed over the past few years. I have witnessed this positive development and helped push it forward," she said in an exclusive interview.

Sino-Dutch relationship, first established in November 1954, has experienced ups and downs in subsequent decades before returning to the right track in late 1990s. Now it is growing healthily within the framework of Sino-EU strategic partnership.

The present bilateral relationship features a sharp increase in exchanges of high-level visits, hike in trade volume, cooperation in sectors like telecommunications and flooding in of Chinese students. Dutch Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende visited China in April and at least six of his cabinet ministers have explored cooperation possibility with their Chinese counterparts in the last 12 months.

With the maturing of this relationship, trade between the two countries shot up to more than US$15 billion in 2003. It is expected to reach the level of US$18 billion this year.

In the meantime, the ING bank, as the most influential Dutch bank, has agreed to cooperate with a Chinese partner. The electronic giant the Philips company is also mulling further expanding its business in China.

Of course, Chinese businesses are also seeking to secure a market share in the Dutch market. The HuaWei Technologies Company Limited, one of China's most powerful Shenzhen-based telecommunications companies, has entered the Dutch market by defeating all its competitors in installing the 3G network in the European country.

Ambassador Xue said that the Netherlands is the only country in the European Union which has established a strategic partnership with China in science and technology. Shanghai's Pudong District and the South Holland province have agreed to make joint efforts in technological innovation by joining their research capabilities together.

Moreover, the Netherlands has been one of the most favorite destinations for the Chinese students. More than 2000 Chinese students come to pursue their studies in Dutch universities each year. And the Chinese language, as a result of the satisfactory development of this relationship, has been officially listed as an optional course in Dutch schools.

The Netherlands, during its six-month period as the EU presidency, has also listed further development of EU-China ties as one of its priorities, breathing new life into the fast-developing partnership.

Dutch Foreign Minister Bernard Bot has said that the seventh annual EU-China summit meeting is aimed to raise the relationship to a higher level.

During his visit, Premier Wen is also to visit Dutch companies and research centers. More than 500 entrepreneurs from both sides will also meet at the same time to further explore possibility of more and better cooperation in almost all important sectors. All this points to the fact that Sino-Dutch relationship is at its best and it is gearing up on the fast track.

(Xinhua News Agency December 8, 2004)