Interview: Innovation-driven cooperation with China essential for European businesses, says expert

The Hague [Netherlands], December 7: China and the Netherlands should deepen collaboration on co-innovation initiatives across key industrial sectors to elevate bilateral economic ties to a new level, said Jochum Haakma, chairman of the Netherlands China Business Council.
In a recent interview with Xinhua during the Amsterdam roadshow of the fourth China International Supply Chain Expo, Haakma stressed that China remains a vital partner for the Netherlands and Europe, not only for its vast market, but also for its rapidly growing strengths in innovation, technology, and industrial upgrading.
"Many European companies, including Dutch firms, are in China not just to sell products, but to co-innovate and become part of a shared global ecosystem," said Haakma, who served as managing director of the Netherlands Foreign Investment Agency from 2006 to 2007.
"You may see a small startup or scale-up begin in the Netherlands, while large-scale development and rollout most likely takes place in China, because things move faster there," he explained.
According to Haakma, sectors including pharmaceuticals, artificial intelligence, and batteries offer particularly strong prospects for co-innovation between Chinese and Dutch industry players, which are opportunities supported by China's development strategy.
On Friday, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Lin Jian told a briefing that China has long taken science and technology as its primary productive force. "China's innovation is open and open-source, and the country is willing to share indigenous technologies and innovation scenarios with the world," Lin said.
Haakma sees huge potential in China's openness. "With government support and strong engagement from industry, I believe the co-innovation in these sectors can be very successful," he said.
While expressing confidence in future cooperation, Haakma also pointed to challenges, including shifting geopolitics, volatile supply chains, and rising trade tensions. These global uncertainties, he said, make international business more complex, strengthening the case for collaboration.
"The right response to global pressure is not isolation, but innovation, quality, and resilient cooperation," said Haakma, who is also the chairman of the EU-China Business Council in Brussels. "Our economies must remain both competitive and connected. The Netherlands is totally dependent on the rest of the world, so we cannot afford to be inward-looking or protectionist."
Sino-Dutch economic cooperation has expanded rapidly since the establishment of diplomatic relations more than 50 years ago. According to China's Ministry of Commerce, bilateral trade reached 110 billion U.S. dollars in 2024. The Netherlands is China's second-largest trading partner within the European Union, while China remains the Netherlands' largest trading partner outside the bloc. The Netherlands is also China's largest EU destination for investment and the second-largest source of EU investment.
"The Netherlands and China need each other and are deeply interdependent," Haakma emphasized.
Applauding China's fast and high-quality development over the past two decades, Haakma noted that China has transformed its industrial base from "low-cost mass production into high-end, technologically advanced manufacturing, and has emerged as a global leader in the green economy."
"This offers an important lesson for Europe and for the Netherlands about the value of a clear, long-term vision," he said, adding that Dutch and European businesses alike are seeking exactly that kind of strategic direction.
For Dutch and European businesses, he concluded, innovation-driven cooperation with China is not just desirable, but essential for maintaining a meaningful role in the global economy.
Source: Xinhua News Agency