By H.E. Mr. Shen Bo, designate ambassador from the People’s Republic of China to the Kingdom of the Netherlands
On December 9, I arrived in The Hague, Legal Capital of the world, from Beijing, an ancient capital of the East, officially commencing my diplomatic mission as Ambassador of the People’s Republic of China to the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Taking up my first ambassadorial post and coming to the Netherlands, an important gateway for China–Europe exchanges and China’s open and pragmatic partner for comprehensive cooperation, I feel a great sense of responsibility and a glorious mission.
The Netherlands is among the earliest Western countries to recognize the People’s Republic of China, and exchanges between our two countries enjoy a long and rich history. Since the beginning of the 21st century, and particularly since the establishment of the Open and Pragmatic Partnership for Comprehensive Cooperation, China–Netherlands relations have grown ever closer, with the scale and quality of bilateral cooperation ranking at the forefront of China–Europe relations.
On the eve of my assumption of office, the fifth volume of “Xi Jinping: The Governance of China” was published. This volume presents in a comprehensive and systematic manner the latest achievements of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, bringing together a series of new ideas, new thinking, and new propositions put forward by President Xi Jinping since the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China held in 2022. It provides the international community with an authoritative and systematic reference for gaining an in-depth understanding of contemporary China’s development philosophy, direction of progress, and sense of global responsibility. I would like to take this opportunity to share several reflections from my study of the book, as well as my thoughts on the future development of China–Netherlands relations.
I. Chinese Modernization as the Contemporary Answer to China’s Governance
Amid changes unseen in a century, China’s rapid development and its growing global impact have attracted widespread international attention. Many friends ask how China succeeded in eliminating absolute poverty within decades, how it transformed itself from a poor and weak country into the world’s second-largest economy, and how it created the rare twin miracles of rapid economic growth and long-term social stability. The fifth volume of “Xi Jinping: The Governance of China” provides clear and convincing answers.
The volume fully presents the latest theoretical achievements and practical strategies of President Xi Jinping in governing the country, and systematically addresses major questions concerning how a large developing country with vast territory and a huge population can, based on its national conditions and the characteristics of the times, advance the building of a modern socialist country in all respects through Chinese modernization. A proper understanding of this book makes it clear that Chinese modernization constitutes the contemporary answer to China’s governance.
Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China held in 2012, the Party has successfully advanced and expanded Chinese modernization through the integrated application of theory and practice. The 20th National Congress summarized and elaborated the theory of Chinese modernization in a systematic manner, charting a clear course for building a strong country and realizing national rejuvenation. Chinese modernization follows a path of high-quality development, with innovation as the primary driving force, fostering new quality productive forces and promoting effective improvement in quality alongside reasonable growth in quantity. It adheres to the people-centered philosophy of development, places the fundamental interests, sense of gain, happiness, and security of the people at the highest priority, and relies on the unity and hard work of the entire population to realize the people’s aspiration for a better life.
Chinese modernization upholds independence, self-reliance, and self-confidence, while at the same time embracing the world and promoting shared development. By coordinating domestic development and opening up to the outside world, China continuously empowers the world through its own development, advancing common development and shared prosperity.
This volume not only opens a new window for friends in the Netherlands and Europe to understand contemporary China and the governing philosophy of the Communist Party of China, but also serves as an authoritative guide for grasping China’s development direction and the essence of Chinese modernization. A more open, innovative, stable, and sustainable China will undoubtedly bring broader cooperation space, stronger growth momentum, and richer opportunities for shared development to the Netherlands and Europe.
II. High-Standard Opening Up as a Major Opportunity for China–Netherlands Cooperation
In the fifth volume of “Xi Jinping: The Governance of China”, the term “Opening up” appears frequently, with a total of forty-eight occurrences. President Xi Jinping stated clearly at the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China that China will remain committed to its fundamental national policy of opening up, firmly pursue a win-win strategy of opening up, and continue to provide new opportunities for the world through China’s new development. Recently, the Fourth Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China adopted the recommendations for formulating the Fifteenth Five-Year Plan. The meeting emphasized expanding high-standard opening up and creating a new landscape of win-win cooperation, outlining a grand blueprint for China’s economic and social development over the next five years and sending a clear signal to the international community of China’s firm resolve to share development opportunities with all countries.
The Netherlands is an important partner of China in Europe, with bilateral trade maintaining a scale of over one hundred billion US dollars for the past years. The implementation of the Fifteenth Five-Year Plan will open up even broader prospects for bilateral cooperation. For example,
–China is advancing its innovation-driven development strategy in depth, while the Netherlands enjoys distinct strengths in areas such as semiconductors and life sciences, offering significant potential for cooperation in scientific and technological innovation.
–China is steadily advancing its carbon peaking and carbon neutrality goals, while the Netherlands is a global leader in renewable energy, the circular economy, and green logistics. The two sides can cultivate new growth drivers in areas such as green energy, climate governance, and green finance.
–China attaches great importance to maintaining the security and stability of industrial and supply chains, while the Netherlands, as a trading nation and a major European hub, represents a vast reservoir of potential for further economic and trade cooperation.
Sound and stable China–Netherlands relations serve the fundamental interests of both countries and are conducive to the overall development of China–Europe relations. This year marks the entry of our two countries’ Open and Pragmatic Partnership for Comprehensive Cooperation into its second decade, a crucial period linking past achievements with future development. China stands ready to work with the Netherlands to deepen strategic communication, enhance mutual understanding and trust, and consolidate the positioning of the partnership. Both sides should expand mutual opening up, broaden practical cooperation, properly manage differences, strengthen exchanges and mutual learning between civilizations, and promote people-to-people connectivity. As long as both sides follow the trend of the times and uphold mutual respect, equality, mutual benefit, openness, and inclusiveness, China–Netherlands relations will continue to move forward steadily and achieve long-term, sound development amid a complex international environment.
III. Upholding Multilateralism as a Shared Mission of China and the Netherlands
The world has entered a new period of turbulence and transformation. Unilateralism and Cold War thinking are resurfacing, while deficits in peace, development, and governance continue to widen. Humanity once again faces a critical choice regarding its future. The fifth volume of “Xi Jinping: The Governance of China” takes a comprehensive view of global changes and trends, accurately grasps the direction of the times, and with profound strategic vision and a deep sense of responsibility for humanity, further elaborates and enriches the concept of a community with a shared future for humanity. It clearly advocates common values of humanity, emphasizing that peace and development are shared causes, fairness and justice are shared ideals, and democracy and freedom are shared pursuits. Following the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative, and the Global Civilization Initiative, President Xi Jinping has solemnly proposed the Global Governance Initiative. Together these four Initiatives complement and reinforce one another, offering Chinese wisdom and Chinese solutions to address global challenges and navigate a changing world.
Multilateralism is the cornerstone for safeguarding the international order and promoting peace and development. China consistently upholds true multilateralism, firmly safeguards the international system with the United Nations at its centre, adheres to fairness and justice, and promotes economic globalization toward a more open, inclusive, balanced, and win-win direction. From actively responding to global crises and promoting dialogue and negotiations, to advancing high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, from strengthening exchanges and mutual learning among civilizations to promoting reform and improvement of the global governance system, China has always acted as a responsible major country and provided stability and positive energy into a turbulent world.
The Netherlands is also a staunch supporter of multilateralism. The Hague is widely known as Legal Capital of the World and hosts numerous international organizations and judicial institutions, giving the Netherlands a unique and important role in international affairs. China and the Netherlands share broad consensus and similar perspectives on maintaining world peace, promoting common development, and upholding international fairness and justice.
The year 2025 marks the eightieth anniversary of the founding of the United Nations and the victory of the World Anti-Fascist War. Eighty years ago, China and the Netherlands were allies. Eighty years later, we are partners. Both sides should jointly safeguard the outcomes of the victory in World War Two and the post-war international order, and jointly oppose any attempts to revive militarism or fascism. China stands ready to strengthen communication and coordination with the Netherlands within multilateral frameworks, build broader consensus on global affairs, and contribute greater China–Netherlands strength to improving global governance, building a community with a shared future for humanity, and promoting world peace and development.
The fifth volume of “Xi Jinping: The Governance of China” belongs not only to China but also to the world. It records the steadfast exploration and successful practice of an ancient civilization on its path toward modernization, and embodies the profound reflection and strategic responsibility of a responsible major country regarding the future for humanity. In the days ahead, I look forward to engaging in broader and deeper exchanges with friends in the Netherlands on China’s governance. Guided by the profound thinking of the fifth volume of “Xi Jinping: The Governance of China”, I will actively deepen our all round practical cooperation, promote China–Netherlands relations to a higher level, and strive to address global uncertainty with the stability of China–Netherlands relations.
