Consulate General of the Netherlands in Guangzhou

Netherlands Floating Solutions Mission in Guangdong Rising sea levels, extreme weather, and resource depletion demand innovative, adaptive solutions. Being a country with one-third of its land below sea level, the Netherlands has faced these challenges head-on for over 1,000 years. This also enabled the country with rich experience in responding to these challenges with innovative solutions. Earlier this month, together with joint efforts of Chinese stakeholders, the Consulate General in Guangzhou hosted two dynamic workshops in Shenzhen and Guangzhou, highlighting Floating Solutions—a groundbreaking approach to building on water, addressing challenges like rising sea levels and urban flooding. Dutch innovators Blue21, Flexbase, Royal HaskoningDHV, MLA+ shared inspiring insights through their presentations, sparking lively discussions and fostering meaningful exchanges on sustainable and resilient urban development. The Greater Bay Area, shaped by the Pearl River and its proximity to the South China Sea, is uniquely positioned to explore these innovations. Floating solutions offer promising ways to enhance flood control systems, urban development strategies, and long-term resilience. Dutch urban planning seamlessly integrates climate resilience with sustainability and community well-being. By blending natural landscapes, energy efficiency, and community-focused spaces, we create environments that are not only safe and sustainable but also beautiful. This vision resonates deeply with Guangdong’s ambitions for sustainable urban development, particularly in addressing rising sea levels and flooding. Collaborating across borders allows us to address shared challenges and create sustainable futures. Let’s continue to explore building resilient, innovative cities—on water! Efstathios Andreou | Antoni Mandemaker | Rutger de Graaf | Eric Spaans | Aniel Kerkvliet （艾纽）| Ying Li | ZHICHAO ZHU | Jan Willem Roël #floatingsolutions #water #watermanagement #climatechange #sustainability

We don’t own the planet Earth 🌍, we belong to it. And we must share it with our wildlife 🌳 Yesterday, the Consulate General of the Netherlands in Guangzhou hosted a screening of the Dutch 🇳🇱documentary “Trees in my Fields”, a film directed by Dutch filmmaker Joris van der Kamp, featuring how three European farms are transforming agriculture through agroforestry systems. Our Consul General Efstathios Andreou welcomed the guests, including professors and students from universities, researchers from forestry institutes, artists and like-minded agri-food sector stakeholders. “Being the second largest agricultural exporter in the world, the Netherlands is not only a global leader of arable farming, modern horticulture and fisheries, but also actively advocating the transition to sustainable agriculture, at home and abroad. Biodiversity has been well practiced in the agricultural production in the Netherlands in terms of its impact on the improvement of agriculture and ecological environment.” said Mr. Andreou. After the screening, a conversation was moderated by Senior Agricultural Advisor Robbie Wang with the audience about topics on land, trees, future farming and the power and challenges of agricultural transformation. Trees make farms more resilient to climate fluctuations, provide greater biodiversity and can ensure that the farms' profit model is strengthened. This film is, not only an exploration of agricultural transformation but a beautiful vision of humanity living in harmony with nature. Through agroforestry, these farmers have discovered sustainable methods that allow them to grow alongside the land, rediscovering the joy of working with nature. Netherlands Agricultural Network in China #sustainableagriculture #sustainability #sustainabledevelopment

Consul General pays a visit to southeastern coast of 🇨🇳 China! The highspeed train🚊brought our Consul General Efstathios Andreou and Senior Commercial Officer ZHICHAO ZHU in 3 hours to this beautiful part of 🇨🇳 China (700 km from Guangzhou). Mr. Andreou paid a courtesy visit to the Fujian Provincial Foreign Affairs Office and met with Director General Mr. Li Lin. Impressed by the economic growth and development, Mr. Andreou also stated the rich historical ties between the Netherlands and Fujian Province. The trade volume between the Netherlands and China has exceeded US$100 billion since 2023, which shows the strength of bilateral partnership of the two countries. As China’s second-largest trading partner within the EU, the Netherlands values China as one of its most significant global partners. Looking forward, Mr. Andreou emphasized opportunities for collaboration in energy transition and sustainable development, fields critical to our shared future. He also celebrated cultural exchange and historical ties, for instance, the former Dutch Consulate in Fuzhou (established in 1863), now repurposed as an Art Theatre, the Fuzhou University Global Civilization Research Center established by the influential Dutch sinologist Kristofer Schipper; the Rolling Snowball: Sino-Dutch Visual Art Exhibition with over twenty Dutch and Chinese artists, including but not limited to all these, just name a few, highlight the growing importance of cultural cooperation. Mr. Li welcomed Mr. Andreou’s visit and outlined Fujian’s. He encouraged greater Dutch participation in Fujian-led projects and events planned for 2025. Highlighting China’s visa-free policy for Dutch entrepreneurs, Mr. Li extends invitations to more Dutch businesses and delegations to visit Fujian for industrial missions and international conferences and foster deeper economic and cultural ties. #energytransition #sustainabledevelopment #Dutchculture #Netherlands #Fujian

#Dutchdesign at #Guangzhoudesignweek | More Than Living: Sino-Dutch Design Dialogue takes place in Guangzhou Last week, the Consulate General of the Netherlands in Guangzhou and Guangzhou Design Week jointly held the Sino-Dutch design dialogue themed "More Than Living - Design destination and Luxury Living Redefined", to further strengthen exchanges and cooperation between Dutch and Chinese designers, estate developers and government agencies in the field of cultural tourism innovation and private home design. Our Deputy Consul General Antoni Mandemaker opened the event with welcoming remarks, "The essence of Dutch design lies in its simplicity and practicality, with a focus on details and a balance between aesthetics and functionality whilst pursuing sustainable development, balancing human needs and providing exquisite and environmental-friendly solutions. This forum allows us to explore how Dutch design can contribute to China's rapid development and inspire new thinking by breaking through the boundaries of living space." Said Mr. Mandemaker. Representatives from leading Dutch companies Doffice, KCAP, MLA+, LOLA Landscape Architects, Trespa, StudioHVN, UNStudio, AIM ARCHITECTURE, INBO showcased cutting-edge projects, exploring how design can transform tourism destinations and elevate luxury living experiences. The dialogue was enriched by contributions from Aric Chen, Director of the Nieuwe Instituut, and prominent Chinese developers, including China Overseas Real Estate, Star River Group, Merrill Lynch Lakes, and Shenzhen Chuanyin Holding. This dynamic exchange of ideas highlighted the power of collaboration in shaping the future of design and urban living. The dialogue was moderated by Miki Li, executive editor of FRAME, the world's leading interior and spatial design publisher founded in 1997 in Amsterdam and is known as a platform dedicated to future spaces and a barometer of world interior design trends. China is currently fostering sustainable development, design innovation, and creating characteristic cities and cultural tourism brands, but it faces various challenges in cultural inheritance, innovative development, and the balance between environment and economy. While Dutch design is good at using innovative materials and energy-saving technologies to create a modern, environmentally friendly and livable life, by combining history and nature to create attractive tourist destinations. #interiordesign #Dutcharchitecture #sustainabledevelopment #guangzhou Aric Chen | Jasmine Tsoi | Ya-Hsin Chen | Sacha Silva | Charlie Chen | Henny van Nistelrooy | YI ZHENG | Shuozhao Sun | Alvis. Yunwei Chen

The first Dutch six-a-side community football ⚽ field opens in the vibrant coastal city of Zhanjiang in southern Guangdong. Zhanjiang has a population of 7 mln.. Last Wednesday, Deputy Consul General Antoni Mandemaker and Senior Commercial Officer Jenesy Wang attended the opening ceremony of the Xuwen County WePark Community Smart Football Park (the WePark Cruyff Court)-Guangdong’s first Dutch six-a-side community football field, inspired by the vision of Dutch football legend Johan Cruyff: “To create spaces for children. To get and keep them active.” In his speech, Mr. Mandemaker highlighted that, in the Netherlands, the average distance from any home to the nearest sports facility is approximately 600 meters. This dense facility enables 56% of the Dutch population aged 4 and above to play sports at least once a week. The role of sports is also a major way to keep the elderly healthy, which in turn will also reduce the costs of health care. The establishment of the Sino-Dutch sports cooperation platform marks a promising start for collaboration. We look forward to seeing Xuwen County, Zhanjiang, and the Netherlands expand their cooperation into more fields in the future. Prior to the opening, Mr. Mandemaker met with Ms. Wang Dunyan of the Zhanjiang Foreign Affairs Office and officials of the Zhanjiang Investment Promotion Bureau and the Zhanjiang Commerce Bureau. He also visited the Meixi Experimental Middle School in Xuwen and witnessed the official launch of YOU.FO, an emerging sport originated from the Netherlands, making its way into the WePark Football Park and the aforementioned school. The Cruyff Foundation believes children and young people all over the world should be given the space and encouragement to exercise. The Cruyff Courts being built in China form part of WeParks: sports locations where everyone, young and old, with and without disabilities, can play together. With joint efforts of their counterparts in China, the Foundation aims to realize a total of 50 Cruyff Courts in China over the next years. https://lnkd.in/eUqGDygu #SportsInnovation #DutchSports #Dutchfootball #Johancruyff #SinoDutch

Rolling Snowball 17: NL-CN Visual Art Exhibition opened in Xiamen Consisting of artworks from 26 Dutch and Chinese artists, the "Rolling Snowball 17" Sino-Dutch contemporary visual art exhibition, jointly presented by the Chinese European Art Center and Xiamen Power Long Art Center, opened to the public in Xiamen last Sunday. Our Consul General Efstathios Andreou attended the event and delivered an opening speech. “Happy to see the long-standing exchanges and connections between the Netherlands and Xiamen from multiple perspectives such as historical ties, economy and trade, culture, and people-to-people relations. Among them, the strong cultural exchanges and cooperation between the two places are undoubtedly of great importance. I hope that the Netherlands China relations will also be like a "rolling snowball", getting bigger and bigger. It is a process being built, always under construction but will never stop.” Said Mr. Andreou. After the opening, the curators of the exhibition gave a guided tour, and participating artists also gave introduction of their artworks. Over a hundred people attended the opening, including participating artists from the Netherlands and China, designers, art lovers, educators and professionals in the local art scene. Following "Rolling Snowball 14" exhibition two years ago which echoed the voices of different individuals under the theme of "Ni Hao/How are you?", the "Rolling Snowball17" continues the discussion, based on our living environment, of how our "landscapes" are constructed and reconstructed. Unlike conventional presentations of natural scenery, the landscapes featured here specifically refer to the interactions among the complex natural processes, human activities and social systems, which form a comprehensive entity with multiple layers of meaning. #DutchCulture #VisualArts #Xiamen #Contemporaryart Aam Solleveld | Casper Braat | Gunnar Kimball | Gerald Van Der Kaap | Jannie Regnerus | Tara Fallaux | Karin van Dam | Marianne Lammersen | Milena Anna Bouma | Nick Renshaw | Dirk van Lieshout | Marcus Bruystens | Sigurdur Gudmundsson | Voebe de Gruyter | ton zwerver | Ineke Gudmundsson | Michael He

♻️ Green Innovation in focus: Consul General speaks at the 2024 Global Apparel (Clothing) Conference “New season, new styles, buy more, buy cheap, move on, throw away: the pollution, waste, and emissions of (fast) fashion are fueling the triple planetary crisis. Together, we can lead the textile and fashion industry to a sustainable era”our Consul General Efstathios Andreou stated at the opening of the 2024 Global Apparel Conference major clothing conference held in Dongguan. Over 700 representatives of the sector participated with representatives from industry associations, entrepreneurs, experts and designers from all over the world. "The Netherlands, guided by the European regulations, is determined with our national ambition to become fully circular by 2050. We are making significant progress toward sustainability in the textile sector. Our designers and innovators are pioneering practices in eco- and circular design, utilizing recycled materials, developing bio-based alternatives, and advancing digital tools to minimize waste. We stand ready to partner with all stakeholders—designers, manufacturers, policymakers, and consumers—in China and beyond." said Mr. Andreou. The conference aims to strengthen global fashion partnerships, by providing a valuable platform for industry stakeholders to exchange insights and explore opportunities for innovative partnerships. During the event, the Chinese version of the "Circular Transition Indicators (CTI) – Sectoral Guidance for Fashion and Textiles", developed by the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD), was officially launched. This framework represents a significant step towards advancing circularity in the fashion and textile industry, offering practical tools to measure and accelerate the transition to a more sustainable future. Alvis. Yunwei Chen #SustainableFashion #CircularEconomy #TextileInnovation #NetherlandsChina #GlobalCollaboration

Dutch 🇳🇱 Nobel Prize Winner and other BIG thinkers gathered in Guangzhou 🤝 👉 An inspiring Sino-Dutch Forum on Advanced Materials South China Normal University brought together Dutch Nobel Laureate dr. Ben Feringa, top scientist dr. Dick Broe, professor Jaap ten Toonder and other professors from the Netherlands and China. 👉 It was wonderful to see so many students, scientists and government representatives are gathered with the same mindset at the Sino-Dutch Forum: they all are thinking BIG! And that mindset is exactly what we need with all the challenges we are facing today!

Keep in touch with the Dutch 🧡 🇳🇱🤝🇨🇳 Reminisce the past, shape the present and inspire the future: NL Alumni Reunion in Guangzhou! Last Thursday, Consul General Efstathios Andreou hosted the Netherlands alumni reunion reception at his residence in Guangzhou. Alumni from different universities gathered together, to reminisce the past, share their experience and stories they had with the Netherlands which shaped them via education and inspire the future. The event aimed to further strengthen the connections among the alumni network and the great cultural ambassadors. Mr. Andreou spoke about the importance of our alumni network. With a variety of educational backgrounds and professions, the expertise of alumni and their connection to the Netherlands make them valuable to the Dutch diplomatic network in China. They offer insights, experiences, and ideas that foster connections on a wide range of topics such as language and culture, international law, business management, music and arts and so on. Furthermore, a number of alumni are often invited by us as expert and keynote speakers for theme events and seminars. #NLAlumni #Dutcheducation   We are pleased that alumni from the Rotterdam Business School, University of Groningen, Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University, Wageningen University & Research, Leiden University, De Haagse Hogeschool / The Hague University of Applied Sciences, HZ University of Applied Sciences, Codarts Rotterdam | University of the Arts, Conservatorium Maastricht, Delft University of Technology, Tilburg University, Hogeschool voor Economische Studies Rotterdam (HES) represented at the event. Thanks to all alumni Hongyan Wang, 何沐凝, Mandy Chan, Yu Ye and Jing Lin for sharing your ideas and experiences. And others for attending. Thank you also to colleagues Michael He, Fons Klein Tuente for organizing.

🎊🚢 Sinterklaas (Saint Nicholas) arrived in Guangzhou 🇨🇳 👧🧒 On behalf of all the Dutch children in the provinces of Guangdong, Guangxi, Fujian and Hainan consul general Efstathios Andreou of Consulate General of the Netherlands in Guangzhou welcomes “Sinterklaas” (Saint Nicolas) in Guangzhou! 🇳🇱🤝🇧🇪Today was an important day for the Dutch and Belgian community in the Guangdong province. The arrival of Saint Nicholas with his helpers! 🎉 It was wonderful to see so many Dutch and Belgian children with their parents celebrating this tradition. A big thank you to all volunteers of de Netherlands Association in Guangzhou (NVG), Belgians in Guangzhou (BZiG), sponsors and the American International School of Guangzhou (AISG). 🎅The tradition of “Sinterklaas” crossed the Atlantic Ocean with the emigration of Dutch settlers to America, who kept the feast of St. Nicholas in the colony of New Amsterdam. After its conquest by England in the 17th century, the city was renamed New York and Sinterklaas gradually became Santa Claus.