Dutch Parliament's Motion Sparks Diplomatic Tensions with China

The Chinese government has expressed strong dissatisfaction and firm opposition to the motion, emphasizing that the Taiwan issue is a core interest of China and a fundamental principle of international relations. The one-China principle is a widely recognized norm in international relations and a foundation for the development of China-Netherlands relations. China urges the Dutch side to fully recognize the extreme sensitivity of the Taiwan issue and the true threat to peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait, which comes from "Taiwan independence" separatist activities and external support.

China has also emphasized that Xinjiang is an inseparable part of its territory, and the so-called "East Turkestan" or "East Turkestan country" has never existed in Chinese history. The current social stability, economic prosperity, and people's well-being in Xinjiang are at their best in history. The allegations of "forced labor" and "genocide" are completely baseless and nothing but a "century lie." The Dutch side should immediately correct its mistakes, stop interfering in China's internal affairs, and stop spreading falsehoods about Xinjiang.

Furthermore, China has stated that the 14th Dalai Lama is a political exile disguised as a religious figure, with no right to represent the Tibetan people. The reincarnation of living Buddhas is a unique tradition in Tibetan Buddhism, with fixed religious rituals and historical conventions. The Dutch side should respect China's sovereignty and territorial integrity, and refrain from supporting separatist activities that undermine the stability and prosperity of China.

The Chinese Embassy in the Netherlands has issued a statement rejecting the Dutch parliament's negative motions on China, emphasizing that such actions constitute a blatant interference in China's internal affairs, attempting to dictate China's development while disregarding facts and truth on issues such as Taiwan, Xinjiang, and Tibet. The embassy spokesperson emphasized that these motions maliciously attack and slander China, openly supporting anti-China separatist forces, which China strongly opposes.

The Netherlands has a complex history with China, having been downgraded to a chargé d'affaires-level diplomatic relationship in the past. In 1954, the two countries established diplomatic relations at the chargé d'affaires level, which was upgraded to ambassadorial level in 1972. However, in 1981, the Netherlands became the first European country to be downgraded by China due to a Taiwan-related issue, after it sold "Sea Dragon"-class submarines to Taiwan under the pretext of saving its shipbuilding industry. This marked the first time China had downgraded diplomatic relations with a European country over the Taiwan issue. The diplomatic relations were restored to ambassadorial level in 1984, after the Netherlands promised to improve its behavior.

The future of China-Netherlands relations hangs in the balance as the Chinese government urges the Dutch side to fully recognize the extreme sensitivity of the Taiwan issue and the true threats to peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait, which come from "Taiwan independence" separatist activities and external forces' condoning and support. The Chinese side demands that the Dutch side put their commitment to the one-China principle into practice, lest it negatively impact China-Netherlands relations. The Chinese side urges the Dutch side to correct its mistakes on Taiwan, Xinjiang, and Tibet from a bilateral relations perspective, contributing positively to the healthy development of China-Netherlands relations and cooperation in various fields.