China-Netherlands mutually beneficial cooperation in line with common interests: Chinese FM

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Friday that both China and the Netherlands being committed to promoting mutually beneficial cooperation in an open and pragmatic spirit is in line with the shared interests of the two sides.

This is also conducive to the sound development of China-European Union (EU) relations as well as the security and stability of the global industrial and supply chains, he said.

Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the remarks in a phone conversation with Dutch Foreign Minister Tom Berendson at the latter's request.

Wang congratulated Berendson on his assuming office as the Netherlands' new foreign minister and said that China and the Netherlands are important partners of cooperation to each other.

China appreciates the positive signal released by the new Dutch government of valuing its relations with China, he said, noting that China's foreign policy maintains coherence and stability, and that China is willing to work with the Netherlands to strengthen exchanges and communication, promote mutual understanding and trust, and consistently deepen their open and pragmatic partnership for comprehensive cooperation.

Wang briefed his Dutch counterpart on the outcomes of China's just concluded "two sessions," noting that China will remain committed to opening wider to the outside world and expanding institutional opening-up, bringing more opportunities to countries around the world, including the Netherlands.

China-Netherlands economic and trade cooperation enjoys mutual complementarity of advantages, mutual benefit and win-win results, Wang noted.

He expressed hope that the new government of the Netherlands will take on a new look and new challenges, adhere to independence and self-autonomy, and support the normal economic and trade exchanges between enterprises of the two countries.

It is hoped that the Dutch side would push EU institutions to understand China in an objective and rational manner, and adhere to the positioning of partnership and open cooperation between China and the EU, Wang said.

For his part, Berendson said the new government of the Netherlands speaks highly of the achievements China has made in its rapid development, and regards the relations with China as one of its most important bilateral relationships.

Berendson said his country is willing to keep high-level exchanges with China, leverage bilateral mechanisms such as the political consultation between foreign ministries and the mixed economic and trade committee, increase dialogue and exchanges at all levels, deepen the pragmatic cooperation in climate change, water resource management and other areas, and jointly defend multilateralism, consistently advancing the bilateral open and pragmatic partnership for comprehensive cooperation to new levels.

The Dutch side is willing to play a constructive role for the sound and steady development of EU-China relations, he said.

The two sides also exchanged views on issues including the Ukraine crisis.

China-Netherlands mutually beneficial cooperation in line with common interests: Chinese FM

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Friday that the issues between Afghanistan and Pakistan can only be resolved through dialogue and consultation.

The use of force would only complicate the situation and intensify the contradictions, which would be of no benefit to either side and threatens regional peace and stability, he said.

Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the remarks in a phone conversation with Afghan Foreign Minister Mawlawi Amir Khan Muttaqi at the latter's request.

Muttaqi thanked China for its active efforts in mediating the conflicts between Afghanistan and Pakistan, noting that the Afghan people, who have suffered greatly from war, cherish the opportunities for peace and development.

The Afghan foreign minister said his country wants to be a source of regional peace rather than unrest, reaffirming that its territory will not be used to attack neighboring countries.

Afghanistan does not wish to engage in military conflict with other countries, and looks forward to mutual trust and friendly coexistence with neighboring countries, he said.

The Afghan side believes that dialogue and consultation are the only way to resolve issues and looks forward to China, as a major country and a friendly neighbor, playing a greater role, he said.

For his part, Wang said that the more volatile the external environment becomes, the more countries in the region should strengthen unity and cooperation, overcome difficulties together, and forge a path of cooperative security and common security.

Afghanistan and Pakistan are inseparable brothers and neighbors that cannot be moved away from each other, he said.

China has always maintained an objective and impartial stance on the conflict between Afghanistan and Pakistan, Wang said.

The special envoy on Afghan affairs of the Chinese Foreign Ministry is shuttling between the two countries to mediate, he said, adding that it is hoped that both sides will keep calm and exercise restraint, have face-to-face exchanges at an early date, achieve a ceasefire as soon as possible, and resolve differences and contradictions through dialogue.

China is willing to continue to make active efforts to help achieve reconciliation and detente between Afghanistan and Pakistan, Wang said.

The two sides also exchanged views on the situation in Iran.

Wang reaffirmed China's principled position, stating that China is willing to work with the international community, including Afghanistan, to further play a constructive role in striving for peace.

Chinese FM calls for resolving issues between Afghanistan and Pakistan through dialogue, consultation