China–Netherlands relations officially began in November 1954.[1] In May 1972, diplomatic mission was increased to ambassadorial level.[1]On 11 May 1981, the diplomatic relations was downgraded to the charge d'affaires level due to the Dutch government ratified the construction of two submarines for Taiwan by the Dutch companies. Until 1 February 1984, China and the Netherlands restored ambassadorial diplomatic relations.[1]
China-Dutch relations began prior to the founding of the People's Republic of China in the 17th and 18th century when Dutch traders of the Verenigde Oostindische Compagnie (VOC) setup trading post in Canton and also in the western coast of Taiwan.[2]
PRC–Netherlands began in 1954.[3] In the 1980s Taiwan ordered two submarines from a Dutch shipyard which were delivered despite tremendous Chinese pressure.[4] China accused the Netherlands of colluding with American President Ronald Reagan and downgraded relations with the Netherlands and threatened to do the same to the US.[5] In 1984, the Netherlands agreed not to export additional military goods in order to restore relations.[6]
Netherlands export to China includes petrochemicals, machinery, transport equipment, food, high technology and fossil fuels.[7] China's export to the Netherlands includes computer and consumer electronics, toys and clothes.[7][8][9]
In July 2019, the UN ambassadors from 22 nations, including Netherlands, signed a joint letter to the UNHRC condemning China's mistreatment of the Uyghurs as well as its mistreatment of other minority groups, urging the Chinese government to close the Xinjiang internment camps.[11][12]
In February 2021, the Dutch House of Representatives voted to recognize the Chinese government's treatment of its Uyghur Muslim minority as genocide, becoming the first country in the European Union to do so.[13]
^Author Yong Liu, (2007), The Dutch East India Company's tea trade with China, 1757–1781, Volume 6 of TANAP monographs on the history of the Asian-European interaction, BRILL, ISBN90-04-15599-6, ISBN978-90-04-15599-2, 277 pages, 17–89, 91–117
^SAITO, MARI; LEE, YIMOU; PARK, JU-MIN; KELLY, TIM; MACASKILL, ANDREW; WU, SARAH; LAGUE, DAVID. "Silent partners". Reuters. Archived from the original on 20 December 2021. Retrieved 30 November 2021.
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