Chinese Commerce Minister Wang Wentao and Dutch Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation Sjoerd Sjoerdsma co-chaired the 18th meeting of the China-Netherlands Joint Economic and Trade Committee held in Beijing on July 7, 2026. Photo: China's Ministry of Commerce

Chinese Commerce Minister Wang Wentao called on the Netherlands to create a fair, just, and predictable environment for Chinese companies investing in the Netherlands, maintain the stability of semiconductor supply and industrial chains, and properly resolve relevant corporate disputes, according to a Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) news release on Wednesday.

Wang made the remarks while co-chairing the 18th meeting of the China-Netherlands Joint Economic and Trade Committee held in Beijing on Tuesday with Dutch Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation Sjoerd Sjoerdsma. China welcomes Dutch companies to invest in China and share the opportunities brought by its vast market, Wang said.

The remarks come amid increased high-level economic and trade engagements between China and Europe in recent weeks.

Chinese experts reached by the Global Times said that amid complex economic and trade relations, some European countries have made rational and pragmatic decisions to pursue cooperation with China based on their interests and practical needs in areas such as trade, investment and broader cooperation. Meanwhile, they urged the Netherlands to demonstrate sincerity and work with China to resolve key issues as soon as possible, including the dispute surrounding Nexperia.

MOFCOM is willing to strengthen cooperation with the Netherlands in areas including advanced manufacturing, technological innovation, the green transition and modern services, Wang said during the meeting.

A joint statement coming out of the first meeting of the China-EU trade and investment consultation mechanism held last week confirmed that as key trade partners, both China and the EU agreed to stabilize their bilateral relationship and make it more balanced, according to Wang. "We hope the Dutch government will play a positive and constructive role within the EU, encouraging the EU to work in the same direction as China and to manage differences through dialogue and consultation."  

Sjoerdsma said that the Dutch side is willing to further strengthen policy communication and coordination with China, deepen trade and investment cooperation, provide a stable and transparent business environment for Chinese companies investing in the Netherlands, and promote the steady development of EU-China and China-Netherlands relations, according to MOFCOM's news release.

On Tuesday, Wang and Sjoerdsma also signed a Memorandum of Understanding on the establishment of the China-Netherlands entrepreneurs committee and jointly attended the first meeting of the committee, according to MOFCOM.

The establishment of new trade mechanisms shows that some European countries, despite the EU's overall policy framework toward China, still choose dialogue and pragmatic cooperation to manage economic and trade relations with China, Jian Junbo, director of the Center for China-Europe Relations at Fudan University's Institute of International Studies, told the Global Times on Wednesday.

Such mechanisms can help both sides explore solutions to trade and economic frictions while creating opportunities for deeper cooperation, Jian said. However, he stressed that their effectiveness ultimately depends on whether both sides can build mutual trust and translate dialogue into concrete outcomes. The establishment of these mechanisms itself reflects a shared willingness to manage differences through communication, resolve disputes and expand cooperation, Jian noted.

China-Netherlands relations have come under growing geopolitical and economic pressure after the Dutch government imposed export restrictions on chipmaking equipment to China under US pressure and took measures against Nexperia. The moves have sparked strong opposition from the Chinese side and raised concerns among businesses.

In March, in response to Nexperia Netherlands' unilateral move to block Chinese employees' access rights and disrupt the company's normal operations, MOFCOM reiterated that the Dutch side's actions had seriously undermined the company's normal production and operations. It warned that should the move trigger another global semiconductor supply chain crisis, the Dutch side would bear full responsibility.

During multi-level diplomatic consultations between China and the Netherlands, the Chinese side has continued to raise concerns over the Nexperia dispute and urged the Dutch side to end unreasonable restrictions.

In an exclusive response to the Global Times regarding the Dutch official's visit on Tuesday, the China Chamber of Commerce to the EU (CCCEU) said they welcome the visit at a time when China-Netherlands and China-EU economic relations are facing increasing geopolitical and economic headwinds. 

Meanwhile, regarding Nexperia, the CCCEU hopes that "the legitimate concerns of the Chinese investor in question will be duly taken into account and that regulatory decisions are made in a fair, transparent and non-discriminatory manner, based on objective market principles rather than geopolitical considerations."

"The Nexperia issue will undoubtedly affect the bilateral business environment, particularly mutual trust. However, the matter should be addressed within the broader context of normal economic and trade exchanges between China and the Netherlands, and the Dutch side should take a more responsible approach with greater sincerity," Jian said.

Jian said that China and Europe remain deeply interconnected economically, with close ties in industrial chains, supply chains and markets. From a pragmatic perspective, enhancing market integration, leveraging each other's strengths and pursuing mutual benefits better serves both sides' interests and is a more realistic and effective approach than confrontation.