CHINA-Dutch FM In Beijing; Talks On Cyber Threats, Trade & Ukraine

(MNI) London-On a visit to the Chinese capital Beijing, Dutch Foreign Minister Wopke Hoekstra states that during meetings with State Councilor Qin Gang he "...raised Dutch concerns about cyber operations conducted from Chinese territory and reports of foreign interference operations on Dutch territory." Adds that, "Safeguarding our open, free and secure economy and cyberspace is [a] key priority for the Netherlands."

• Hoekstra: "The State Councilor and I have talked extensively about the war that Russia started in Ukraine.[...] We welcome that President Xi has spoken with President Zelenskyy. [...] We see valuable points in China’s position paper on the war in Ukraine, such as ensuring nuclear safety and security, and implementation of the Black Sea Grain deal..I’ve also stressed the importance of all countries refraining from delivering weapons to Russia, and the need to prevent the circumvention of sanctions."
• Qin Gang: "We believe China and the Netherlands should work together to jointly protect normal trade order between us...keep global, industrial and supply chains stable."
• The statement released by the Dutch gov't does not mention the Dutch ban on the export of semiconductor manufacturing equipment to China. The ban came in alongside those from the US and Japan (the three countries are the only ones in the world with the facilities and technology to make the semiconductor manufacturing equipment) in an effort to 'de-risk' supply chains and limit Beijing's access to high-tech chip manufacturing capabilities.