China hopes and believes that the new Dutch government will continue to uphold an objective and rational attitude toward China, and work with it to promote the sound development of the bilateral relationship, a spokesman for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in Beijing on Tuesday.
The ministry's spokesman Lin Jian was responding to a media query about the new Dutch government at a daily press briefing.
"Both China and the Netherlands are important economies in the world and are each other's major cooperation partner. Over the decades, the two sides have been advancing mutually beneficial cooperation in the spirit of openness and practical results, which has benefited the two peoples. Such effort serves the common interests of the two countries, and is conducive to developing relations between China and Europe and keeping the global industrial and supply chains stable. We hope and believe that the new Dutch government will continue to uphold an objective and rational attitude toward China and work with China to promote the sound development of the bilateral relationship," said Lin.
China expects new Dutch gov't to continue to promote bilateral relations: spokesman
African officials on Wednesday pledged to scale up investment to accelerate development across the member states of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) at a meeting in Accra, Ghana's capital.
They made the commitment during the 24th Annual General Meeting of the ECOWAS Bank for Investment and Development (EBID), where leaders highlighted the need to expand the bank's capital base to finance transformative projects.
Ghanaian Finance Minister Cassiel Ato Forson stressed that timely capital payments would strengthen EBID's leverage and sustain its growth, enabling the institution to stimulate inclusive economic expansion across the region.
"Timely capital payments are critical. It strengthens EBID leverage and sustains its growth and impact across our region. Expanding our capital base is essential to strengthen our ability to finance transformative development projects and stimulate inclusive economic growth among our member states," said Forson.
EBID recorded strong achievements in 2025, with total disbursements of about 722 million U.S. dollars, up 47.7 percent from 2024. Building on that momentum, President George Agyekum Donkor said the bank remains committed to helping member states tackle poverty and close infrastructure gaps across the region.
"We aim to direct at least 63 percent of new commitments towards the private enterprises to catalyze job creation and innovation. Simultaneously, the bank would embed environmental, social and governance principles across its operations, dedicating over 41 percent of resources to climate mitigation and social inclusion projects," said Donkor.
With disbursements surging nearly 48 percent last year, EBID officials said the bank is positioned to channel more resources into private-sector growth and climate-focused projects, reinforcing its role as a driver of inclusive development across West Africa.
African officials vow stronger investment push at ECOWAS bank meeting in Accra
