The interpretation of Dutch-Sino Relationship - Openness, and sustainability 荷中关系-开放与可持续发展性

Here below, I start it with the Chinese version, then move to the English version. 

The Chinese version of this essay was published on WeChat Official Accounts

<Detection_Mirror> on June 30th, 2019 in China

今天我来说一下中荷关系。出于最近的两个事件。第一，荷兰近日（2019年5月）出台了对华政策-新平衡政策。第二，应国务院总理李克强邀请，荷兰王国首相马克·吕特于6月27日对中国进行工作访问。

此次访问主要目的是为以荷兰发起的Global Center On Adaption 在北京的第一个办公室开张。这个中心的工作重点是方便荷兰做为发起国和气候变迁适应领袖国支持那些适应气候变化的国家. 该中心的建立和中心的一切活动无疑是对那些反对为气候变迁付诸努力的国家的在此提醒。 在这一点上， 中国与荷兰站在一起。

当然，荷兰对中国也非常重要。大部分中国人对荷兰都不太了解。以为这个国家就是个花的世界，开放的世界，水的世界。其实不光如此。这个国家用我的话说是small but unbelievably powerful. Low profile but incredibly superior. 这个小国，面积也就一个半北京大，却是世界上人口密度最高的几个地方之一，却是为数不多的科技强国，农业强国和教育强国。也是世界上为数不多的资本主义和社会主义精髓结合的最好的国家，所以通常叫做社会主义资本主义国家（Social capitalism). 这个国家领土大部分在海平面以下，一大部分又是填海造出来的。这样，就造就了整个国家都必须以可持续发展为首念，为将来考虑，为下一代考虑。这个国家富有但从不浪费、常报远忧但不近患、人民生活工作平衡但人均生产率和创新率位居前列。所以，在荷兰，与大自然的变迁和与气候变迁的适应与合作较量的工作关乎每个人每天进行的在工业农业和服务业的各项活动。就是这样，这个国家才会成为集科技、环境、人类活动完美结合的小而大国！当然这样的隐形科技冠军国家也是世界物流的咽喉国，对于中国和美国都至关重要！

当然，对于荷兰首相这次访问，其背后和荷兰新出台的对华政策也息息相关。在美国的强压下，荷兰做为美国的盟友和中国的长期贸易合作伙伴，很难在两个队列中选择站位。为此，荷兰的对华新政策也是含糊其辞，多以未来可持续发展的大同方向为导向。此报告对实际操作其实没多大帮助。

之前对此问题我在欧盟报道里已经简要调侃解读过。具体内容请见EUReporter https://www.eureporter.co/economy/2019/05/19/where-should-the-dutch-go-with-their-new-policy-towards-china/

联系到中美经贸科技战，最受伤的其实不仅是当事人（中美），而是以开放贸易和科技治国为主的那些小国。比如说韩国新加坡荷兰等。开放、平等并没有错，错的就是开打当事人打肿脸充胖子和对意识形态差异零容忍的态度和行为。

Today, let me briefly talk about Sino-Dutch relations. This topic came from two events happening recently. First, the Netherlands recently (May 2019) issued a policy regarding the Dutch-China relationship, called New Balance. Second, at the invitation of Premier Li Keqiang of the China State Council, Prime Minister of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, Mark Rutte, paid a working visit to China on June 27.

The primary purpose of this Dutch visit was to open the first office in Beijing of the Global Center On Adaption, initiated by the Netherlands. The focus of this center is to facilitate the Netherlands as an initiator and a climate change adaptation leader to support those countries that adapt to climate change, such as China. In my view, this visit and the initiation of this center can be regarded as a very important endeavour to remind those countries in G20 for implementing Paris Agreement. On this matter, China stands with NL.  

Of course, the Netherlands is also very important to China. Most Chinese people don't know much about the Netherlands. This country, in many Chinese eyes, is a flower world, an open world, and a water world. In fact, the Netherlands has more to offer. This country, in my words, is small but unbelievably powerful; is with a low profile but incredibly super. This small country, with a similar size of 1.5 times of Beijing, is one of the highest population density areas in the world, holding the most advanced technology in all sectors and industries, particularly in agricultural, sustainability, education, semiconductor, and water technology, etc. In my observation, this country is also one of the few countries in the world to combine the merit of capitalism and socialism, to equalize different classes of the society, to harmonize the nature and human being, and to make an effort to the social capitalism. The territory of this country is mostly below the sea level, with also a quite apart is reclaimed. To my respect, the whole country has been carefully designed to make sustainable development as the first consideration for the future and the next generation. If allowing me to comment on this country, this country is very wealthy but never prone to overconsume (sometimes, people named the Netherland and Dutch people are frugal;)). This country can practically make a real effort to avoid the future conflicts between humans and the environment (in a Chinese saying, 无远虑必近忧 a man who does not forecast must have near worries. with this sense, Dutch set a great model to the world, well planning and designing for the future).  Also, this country embraces work-life balance, but never sacrifice the per capita productivity and innovation. Therefore, in the Netherlands, the endeavour of adapting to the social-economic changes and climate change is relevant to the activities of everyone from every sector and everywhere (in NL). No wonder this country is small but strong, in addition to its extraordinary attraction to the foreign investment (low corporate tax and easiness in doing business) and leading position in science, technology, and education! Of course, such an invisible champion country is well sitting on the throat of the world supply chain and logistics map, which is unsurprisingly very important for both China and the United States!

Of course, for the Dutch Prime Minister’s current visit, it is also closely related to the new Dutch policy on China. Under the pressure of the United States, to which the Netherlands is an ally and a long-term trading partner of China, it is not easy to choose a static position. To this end, the Dutch new policy toward China is also described vaguely, mostly are oriented to the future direction of sustainable development, to the joint effort of climate change and sustainability. No mistakes, but in short-term, it is not really able to guild the actual operation in the current situation. Maybe, this is so-called the Dutch Approach. 

I have already briefly explained this issue in the EU report. See EUReporter for details. https://www.eureporter.co/economy/2019/05/19/where-should-the-dutch-go-with-their-new-policy-towards-china/

Regarding the relevance to Sino-US economic and trade war, it is clear that the most injured are not only to the direct parties such as China and the United States in the short run, but also more to the small countries that are mainly oriented to openness and globalisation in the long run. For example, South Korea, Singapore, the Netherlands, and many other more etc. The point is there is nothing wrong with openness and globalization. The wrong thing is to the attitude of those parties with zero tolerance for ideological differences, with the emergence of nationalism and populism.