China and Holland will cooperate in windmill power generation, trademark protection and sustainable energy equipment, according to a Dutch minister in Beijing Monday.  

At a press conference, Sybilla Dekker, minister of Housing and Spatial Planning and Environment, said Holland will also set up an office in Shanghai to promote Chinese traveling in her country. She said she hoped more Chinese will travel in Holland.

According to a memorandum of understanding signed by China and the European Union here last Thursday, it will soon be easier for Chinese tourists to go to Europe.

Dekker recalled her activities in Beijing since she arrived Sunday.

On Sunday, she had met with Chinese Minister of Construction Wang Guangtao, discussing urbanization and sustainable development and signing an memorandum on strengthening exchanges on housing.

She had met on Monday with Chinese Deputy Director of State Environmental Protection Administration Pan Yue and Vice Minister of Commerce Zhang Zhigang.

She said both sides were "very optimistic" on bilateral relations and "to promote trade with China is the priority of the Dutch government."

Holland is China's second largest trade partner in the EU nations. According to statistics of Chinese General Administration of Customs, in 2003 bilateral trade volume hit US$15.4 billion, among which the export of China is US$13.5 billion.

Dekker said Holland did not take the trade deficit as a "problem", but a "challenge", believing it can be solved by certain means, but not trade barriers.

"This is also one of the reasons that this delegation comes to China. I hope the enterprises can find opportunities in China and bring their products here," she said.

According to the Dutch Embassy to China, the delegation led by Dekker includes 33 small- and mid-sized enterprises and the main reason for them to visit China is to promote bilateral trade.

Besides Beijing, the delegation, during their one-week stay in China, will also visit Shandong Province in the east and Guangdong Province in the south.

(Xinhua News Agency February 17, 2004)