Chen Xu, China’s ambassador to the Netherlands, and Jia Gaobo, Netherlands’ ambassador in China, jointly signed the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) at Catshuis in The Hague on March 23, 2014. President Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Mark Rutte witnessed the signing of the agreement.

Almost 400 years ago, the people of China and the Netherlands were bonded together because of the Silk Road which stretched from Guangzhou to the Netherlands. After the establishment of the People’s Republic of China, diplomatic relationships between the two countries began to develop. Recently, greater cultural exchanges have been carried out, for instance, the celebration of the 40th anniversary of diplomatic relations at the ambassador level, and events such as Happy Chinese New Year and the Fancy Car Parade were successfully held. In addition, China and the Netherlands have agreed to open a Chinese Culture Center to bolster both countries cultural creative industries.

The MOU signing serves as an indication of the prosperous cultural exchanges that exist between the two countries and will play an important role in furthering their mutual understanding and friendly relationships already in place. The agreement will also boost the two countries cultural dialogue with China and other European nations.