The city of Chengdu has long been associated with giant pandas. Today, a Dutchman is bringing this cute creature to tens of millions of kids around the world through his mobile games. In 2012, Thijs Bosma created his brand – Dr. Panda, in this southwestern economic hub.

"Chengdu is a very good place for software development. I think the biggest reason is that we can get ‘good' people here," Bosma told CGTN, explaining that the growing metropolis attracts people with innovative ideas from both home and abroad.

With an international team of employees from some ten countries, including some Dutch people, Dr. Panda has grown into the world's second-largest developer of paid kids' apps. Its 37 games have generated more than 100 million downloads.

"I think there is a very good mix of fun and education. I think a lot of kids see the small funny details that we put in our games. And we have a lot of good designers in our company," said Joris Eertink, lead programmer of the company.

Eying a bigger market, in 2017, the company opened an office in Shanghai to diversify its products. As one of the successful Dutch businesspeople in China, Bosma was received by the Queen of the Netherlands in Beijing earlier this year.

Dr. Panda's success in Chengdu shows that southwest China is attracting more diversified investments from the Netherlands. During the past few years, many enterprises have established sales offices or factories on their own or in partnership with Chinese companies.

Philips Lighting, a global market leader with recognized expertise in the development and manufacturing of innovative lighting solutions, said they planned to build a LED R&D center in Chengdu, reported Western China Metropolis Daily.

The Netherlands Business Support Office has witnessed the new trend and attributes this to the excellent business environment.

"The changes from year to year in cities in southwest China are very big. It feels maybe a little bit like what Shanghai experienced 20 years ago. It's a place where doing business is very exciting," said William Van Tongeren, Chief Representative of the Netherlands Business Support Office in Chengdu.

China is the second-largest trading partner of the Netherlands outside the EU and the Netherlands is China's third-largest trading partner within the bloc. As China pledges to open even wider to the outside world with more preferential policies and improved infrastructure, the trend is expected to continue.

"Undoubtedly, this will bring more Dutch companies to China. I think China has shown the opening up is really the way they want to go, and not just saying it, but also realizing it in many policies and many places. So it's becoming a very attractive place for foreign companies," said Tongeren.

Now, the express railways linking Chinese and European cities, including Tilburg in the Netherlands, have further boosted bilateral trade. 

Latest data shows that more than 680 Chinese enterprises have made direct investments in the Netherlands, with some 80 setting their headquarters there. Both Bosma and Tongeren say they believe more Chinese companies will also flock to their country for opportunities.