Setting Sail on a New Voyage of China-Netherlands Relation

尊敬的各位来宾，

女士们、先生们、朋友们：

　　大家晚上好！

　　感谢各位出席今天的招待会。

　　一转眼，我来到这里已经一个多月了。这段时间，许多人见到我都会问：你对荷兰印象如何？荷兰人对你可还好？

Distinguished Guests,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Dear Friends,

Good evening! Goedenavond!

Thank you for attending today's reception.

Time flies, and more than one month has passed since my arrival here. During this period, many people have asked me when we met: What is your impression of the Netherlands? Are the Dutch people friendly to you?

　　你可以想象，我的回答肯定是：完美！好的不能再好了！这里春光明媚、气候适宜、人民友善、生机勃勃。尤其是坐着金色马车去向国王陛下递交国书的场景，如梦似幻……

　　当然这些都是真的。不过，这一个月来，我的最大感受是：忙！我很荣幸地与荷方同事一道，接待了中国国家副主席王岐山先生的成功来访；我还忙于拜会各位官员、各位使节、各界朋友，忙于给报纸写文章和接受采访，忙于照料来自中国的访问团组，忙于出席各种招待会……

　　我很享受这种忙碌。事实上，这就是中荷关系的一个缩影——形式丰富、内容充实、日新月异，同时也富有挑战。

As you could imagine, my answer has always been: Perfect! It can't be better! Here, I enjoyed the bright spring days, the pleasant weather, the hospitality of the people, and the thriving vitality of this country. And I have to mention the most memorable moment when the golden carriage took me to present my credentials to His Majesty King Willem-Alexander. It was like a dream…

However, all this is true, for sure. One word sums up my experience for the past month. That is "busy"! I had the honor to work together with the Dutch colleagues for the successful visit of Chinese Vice President Wang Qishan. I was also busy with visiting officials, ambassadors, and friends from all walks of life, busy with writing articles for newspapers and being interviewed, busy with receiving delegations from China, as well as attending various receptions...

I really enjoy this kind of busyness. In fact, it is an epitome of the Sino-Dutch relations – rich in form and content, fast-changing while challenging.

　　我不是第一次来到荷兰。早在30年前，我就开始来这里参加国际法会议。30年弹指一挥间，荷兰很好地守护了自己的传统，同时也在悄然发生着不少变化：30年前的风车依旧在转，30年前的建筑依然耸立，30年来郁金香依旧盛开，30年来奶酪更加让人着迷。但30年前，这里还很少见到现代建筑，也还没有大熊猫，更没有快速发展的现代科技给人民生活带来的种种便利。特别是，中荷两国关系和两国人民的合作与友谊，与30年前完全不可同日而语。如果说中荷有着长达400多年的交往史，荷兰人被称作“欧洲的中国人”，这些都是历史的话，2014年习近平主席访问荷兰，同威廉—亚历山大国王一起明确了中荷“开放务实的全面合作伙伴关系”，两国人民都从中得到以往无法想象的实实在在的收获。我们已经站在了一个新的更高的历史起点上。这也是为什么我对此次出使荷兰充满感恩之心和成功信心的理由。

This is not my first visit to the Netherlands. As early as 30 years ago, I already came here to attend conferences on International Law. In the past 30 years, the Netherlands has maintained its traditions well but has also changed quietly in many aspects. Today, the windmills I saw 30 years ago are still turning; the buildings I visited 30 years ago are still standing; the tulips I admired 30 years ago are again in full bloom; and the cheese I liked 30 years ago has become even more fascinating.

However, 30 years ago, there were not so many modern buildings, and no giant pandas, not to mention the convenience the rapid development of modern technology has brought to people's lives. Especially, the Sino-Dutch relations as well as the cooperation and friendship between the two peoples nowadays are completely different from those of 30 years ago. In retrospect, China and the Netherlands enjoy a history of more than 400 years of exchanges and communication. The Dutch people are sometimes even called "the Chinese in Europe".

In recent years, especially since 2014 when President Xi Jinping visited the Netherlands, and together with His Majesty King Willem-Alexander clearly defined Sino-Dutch relations as "an open and pragmatic partnership for comprehensive cooperation", which has brought tangible benefits to the people of both countries. That was unimaginable in the past. We are standing at a new, higher historical starting point. This is the reason why I am full of gratitude for, and full of confidence in, my mission as the new ambassador of China to the Netherlands.