China sees the Netherlands as a priority partner in the European Union (EU) and is willing to work together to promote cooperation in various fields to yield new results, Chinese Premier Li Qiang said on Tuesday.

Li made the remarks during a phone conversation with Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte.

China and the Netherlands agreed to push forward their open and practical comprehensive cooperative partnership, which is in line with the interests of the two countries and their peoples, Li said.

The Chinese side will continue to expand market access and strengthen intellectual property protection, Li said, adding that China welcomes more competitive enterprises and more high-quality products from the Netherlands to enter the Chinese market.

It is hoped that the Netherlands will provide an open, fair and non-discriminatory business environment for Chinese enterprises to invest there, Li said.

The Chinese premier said China will work with the Netherlands to deepen cooperation in agriculture, water conservatory and new energy, promote cultural and people-to-people exchanges, and enhance cooperation in multilateral fields, such as addressing climate change.

Both China and the Netherlands are beneficiaries and supporters of economic globalization and free trade, Li said.

He called on the Netherlands to adhere to market principles and rules of the World Trade Organization (WTO), safeguard the common interests of the two countries and their enterprises, and maintain the smooth flow of the global industrial and supply chains.

China's EU policy has maintained a high degree of continuity and stability, Li said, adding that both sides should practice true multilateralism and jointly oppose bloc confrontation and a "new Cold War."

The Chinese premier expressed his belief that the Netherlands will push Europe to uphold strategic autonomy to contribute more to advancing the development of China-EU relations.

Hailing China as an important partner of the Netherlands, Rutte called for maintaining close high-level exchanges with China and deepening cooperation to push forward the development of the open and practical comprehensive cooperative partnership of the two countries. 

The Netherlands is willing to continue to be the link and bridge for cooperation and exchanges between the EU and China, he said. 

The two sides also exchanged views on regional and international issues of common concern.

(Cover via CFP)