Mark Rutte believes that the Netherlands should take advantage of its standing as one of the safest investment destinations to attract more investment from China. Fu Jing / China Daily

World can learn a lot from China's nuclear energy experience, says dutch prime minister

The Netherlands Prime Minister Mark Rutte believes that Chinese President Xi Jinping's European trip will bring new zeal to Sino-European ties.

Rutte, who has met Xi twice, says he expects to consolidate the sound working relationship with Xi during the latter's trip to the Netherlands.

"I am looking forward to working closely with Xi to better political, economic and cultural relations between the two countries," he says.

Speaking to China Daily from his office in The Hague, Rutte fondly recollects his personal interactions with the Chinese leader in November in Beijing and in Sochi during the recent Winter Olympics.

"As a host, he was warm and friendly... I found him very much on top of things and in charge. He is really someone I can do business with."

Xi also met King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands in Sochi.

Rutte, who took office in 2010, believes that the Netherlands should take advantage of its standing as one of the safest investment destinations to attract more foreign investment, especially from China.

The prime minister's statements come as no surprise as one can see hardly any security in his office, and most of the officials are friendly and accessible.

The size of China, with its 1.4 billion people, greatly overshadows that of the Netherlands, he says. Chinese leaders have to deal with a plethora of issues, but are steadfast in their determination to enhance the nation's global image. "To achieve this they have chosen an excellent leader in Xi Jinping," he says.

Apart from bilateral issues, the two will also discuss the crisis in Ukraine and several other major geopolitical issues.

"I believe there is so much that we can offer each other, politically, culturally and economically."

Rutte says his country is especially keen on expanding high-tech cooperation with China, as he believes that Netherlands has a great deal of expertise and knowledge it can share.

"China's development has delivered several positive changes to the world and the Netherlands is more than able and willing to join them (China) on this historic journey."

The Netherlands is China's second-biggest trading partner in the European Union. Bilateral trade between the two nations was around 40 billion euros in 2012. Between 2004 and 2012, Dutch companies invested about 12 billion euros in China.

There are more than 1,000 Dutch companies in China, while more than 350 Chinese companies have units in the Netherlands. According to the prime minister, Dutch companies are the global leaders in sectors such as agri-food, life sciences and water technology.

He expressed confidence that several business deals would be inked during Xi's visit. "When I visited China, we had several successful CEO round tables and important political discussions. I believe that the political meetings can be used to deepen economic ties. There is a lot of long-term potential," he says.

He says he is convinced that there is still a lot that both sides can do in areas such as water management, agriculture and food. He says he will visit China with a trade mission soon to further capitalize on the gains from the recent state visits.

"Even in the 1990s I was quite impressed by the growth of Chinese industries, particularly investment in agriculture. This is one area where the Netherlands has a lot to offer, as we are the second-largest exporter of agricultural products in the world," he says.

Rutte says he is confident that both sides will work together to bring peace and stability in Africa and also work together on other major international issues under the UN umbrella.

Chinese businesses can make use of the Rotterdam port to reach out to other markets in Europe and also capitalize on the Netherlands' foreign languages skills and infrastructure advantage, he says.

Rutte says Xi's participation in the third Nuclear Security Summit will be a great contribution to global peace. "I'm glad Xi is attending the summit. His direct involvement makes it possible to achieve tangible results," he says.

"Our goals are simple: to prevent nuclear terrorism and to reach an effective agreement on vital issues."

Rutte says the summit also seeks to reduce the amount of dangerous nuclear material in the world and to improve the security of these materials through international cooperation.

"I'm really happy that 58 countries have come together to prevent nuclear terrorism and to build a safer world," he says.

Rutte says that China is a glowing example of how a nation can use nuclear energy peacefully and also set national nuclear security regulations.

He says China's 12th Five-Year Plan (2011-15) and its goal by 2020, including a particularly important comprehensive plan for future nuclear security activities, are very much in line with the thought process. China has achieved an excellent safety record in nuclear power operation, something that others can learn from, he says.

"A big country like China has gained and prospered from its nuclear energy experience. I believe other nations, and personally, the Netherlands, can also follow suit," he says.

fujing@chinadaily.com.cn