The bilateral economic relations between China and the Netherlands are blossoming these years.  Both Premier Zhu Rongji and Deputy Premier Li Lanqing visited the Netherlands in 2000 and held meetings with Dutch entrepreneurs. In the second half of 2001, a large economic mission of Dutch entrepreneurs headed by Vice Prime Minister and Minister of Economic Affairs H.E. Mrs A. Jorritsma paid a successful visit to Beijing, Shanghai and Wuhan of China.

　　According to the statistics of the Chinese Customs, The total value of import and export between China and the Netherlands reached USD7.923 billion in 2000, up 23.3% as against the previous year. According to Dutch statistic, China is the second largest trade partner of the Netherlands in Far-East and the Netherlands also ranks the fourth in the European Union in terms of investment in China.

　　The economic and technological cooperation between China and the Netherlands is concentrated on, among others, agriculture, chemicals, electronics, communications, water conservancy and food processing. By the end of June 2000, the directly invested projects by the Netherlands in China had topped 764 with a contractual sum of USD4.481 billion and an actual input of USD2.416 billion.

　　In October 2000, China and the Royal Dutch Shell Group of the Netherlands signed an agreement concerning the petroleum and chemical projects in the South China Sea with a total sum of more than USD 4 Billion.