China stands ready to further explore cooperation with the Netherlands in such areas as green development and innovation to achieve a higher level of mutual benefit, Premier Li Qiang said on Wednesday.
Li made the remarks during a phone conversation with Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten.
Noting that China and the Netherlands have established an open and pragmatic partnership for comprehensive cooperation for more than a decade, Li said that bilateral relations and cooperation have continued to deepen, delivering tangible benefits to the two peoples.
Currently, the international situation is marked by growing instability. Under such circumstances, it is even more important for the two countries to promote cooperation through openness and achieve win-win outcomes through pragmatism, Li noted.
The premier voiced China's readiness to work with the Netherlands to consolidate political mutual trust, uphold mutual respect and dialogue on the basis of equality, better leverage dialogue mechanisms to further explore potentials for cooperation in such areas as economy, trade, and science and technology. He also voiced hope that the Dutch side will play an active role in promoting the sound and steady development of China-EU relations.
For his part, Jetten said the new Dutch government is willing to intensify high-level exchanges with the Chinese side, promote mutually beneficial cooperation in such areas as economy and trade, and innovation, in a joint effort to address global challenges and safeguard common interests.
The Netherlands stands ready to play an active role in promoting dialogue and cooperation between China and the EU, he said.
Chinese premier calls for expanding green, innovation cooperation with the Netherlands
Farmers in Gaza have been forced to find innovative ways to keep their livelihoods ticking over following the devastating conflict, with many now growing vegetables inside recycled tin cans after losing their land during the war.
Inside temporary greenhouses in southern Gaza, Palestinian farmers are growing mint and vegetables inside empty food cans recycled from aid supplies, after suffering severe shortages of essential agricultural materials.
Local farmers say they have been searching for simple alternatives to continue farming amid the widespread destruction, with many seeing their land and crop fields decimated.
"The idea came from the shortage of nylon in Gaza. We started using empty vegetable cans left behind by charity kitchens. We use them as an alternative to nylon and plant inside them," said Mohammad Zaarab, a Palestinian farmer.
Israel's designation of what Palestinians call the 'yellow zone' has swallowed up most of Gaza's available farmland, reducing usable agricultural land to only around six percent, while farmers continue to face the risk of Israeli fire during their work.
"We are exposed to gunfire in this area. Whenever they shoot at us, we hide until the firing stops. We work in fear and risk our lives while farming," said Shadi Zaarab, another farmer.
According to the United Nations, agriculture made up around 10 percent of Gaza's economy before the war, with more than 560,000 Palestinians relying on farming, livestock, or fishing for their livelihoods.
Gaza's Ministry of Agriculture says reusing empty food cans has become one of the few remaining ways for farmers to continue growing and providing food after the war that began in 2023 devastated much of the agricultural sector.
"Since October 7 [2023], about 86 percent of Gaza's agricultural land has been destroyed by the [Israeli] occupation. Farmers have turned to alternatives, especially for growing aromatic plants that Gaza's farmers traditionally relied on for production," said Ali Abu Amer, director of the Khan Younis Governorate under Palestine's Ministry of Agriculture.
The recycled can practice adopted by farmers also has some positive knock-on effect, as collecting and preparing empty food cans has also created limited work opportunities for unemployed youth amid the Israeli blockade.
Gaza farmers turn to growing vegetables in recycled tin cans after losing land
