A week dedicated to Dutch events kicked off on Sunday to celebrate the 40th anniversary of formal diplomatic relationship between China and the Netherlands.

"Dutch Week Shanghai 2012," organized by the Netherlands Consulate General in Shanghai, features a number of high-level business seminars in areas in which Dutch companies are strong and is intended to promote the Dutch business image in Shanghai.

A Dutch film festival, appealing to more general audiences, also forms part of the program. The latest Dutch movies, short features and documentary films are being shown at evening screenings.

"We have many Dutch companies in this region. Shanghai has the largest concentration of Dutch companies in China - and that includes both big international enterprises and smaller to medium-sized businesses. So we want to use the week to make them better known to the Shanghai public, especially the municipal government officials and business executives here in the region," Peter Potman, the consul general, tells Shanghai Daily.

"We organized events focusing on the areas that are among the priority sectors for the Dutch economy - high-tech, logistics, agro-food, the service industry and design - and, most importantly, to highlight the Netherlands as a gateway to Europe for Chinese companies interested in investment there."

Each day of the week has been organized around a different key field in bilateral trade and collaborations. Seminars on Monday were dedicated to the logistics industry in both countries; Tuesday involved corporate social responsibilities and sustainable development and environmental law issues; design and other creative industries were the focal point on Wednesday; agro-food took center stage on Thursday; and today is dedicated to the service industry.

"Agro-food seminars focused on quality control in the supply chain, a major concern that interests Chinese food companies and officials, while the service industry seminars will shed light on Shanghai's plan to develop a service economy before 2030," says Potman.

He cites the service industry, which includes banking, marketing, insurance and many other fields, as one of the sectors with the most potential for development in terms of Sino-Dutch collaborations in the near future.

Among other industries Potman places great emphasis on is the high-tech sector, in the broadest sense. It will not be limited in Shanghai, but extend into neighboring Jiangsu Province, which has put in a lot of effort to develop industrial zones.

"Shanghai is the major spot and will always remain important in all these developments, especially because it is the easiest entry point for Dutch companies interested in the Chinese market. It is a very mature market with a highly developed infrastructure and it is also a port city - like Rotterdam - which makes it feel familiar to Dutch business people," he says.

Creative sector

Corporate social responsibility is a relatively new concept to Chinese companies, which can find great examples and experiences from their Dutch peers, while Dutch companies, which are often interested in sustainable development, will find Chinese environmental law very inspiring, says Potman.

The creative sector also has an important role, he adds.

"In the last couple years, the Dutch design industry has become very successful in Shanghai, following the rapid development of Chinese real estate. And this industry - one of the most well-known in the Netherlands - will continue to be a crucial field in China," the consul general explains.

At a time when many European countries, including the Netherlands, are still recovering from the recession and battling with a debt crisis, it is crucial to expand Dutch business and exports in China, one of the few places still rapidly developing, as well as attracting Chinese investors to the country, he adds.

The week has also included several sessions aimed at Chinese investors curious about the Dutch and European markets, such as the "Marketing and Branding in the EU" forum, explaining branding to Chinese companies through case studies in the European market.

And the location of the Netherlands makes it ideal for ventures into Europe, says Potman. "For Chinese investors, the Netherlands is a great gateway to the European market," he says.

The port of Rotterdam, a sister city of Shanghai, is where a large part of Chinese exports are unloaded. The mature Dutch logistics industry makes it convenient for Chinese products to be shipped, flown and driven all over the continent, quickly and safely, says Potman.

The week also included the "Chinese-Dutch Intelligent Logistics" seminar that shed light on the supply chains of the two countries, both strongly dependent on international trade.

The Netherlands has tax treaties with more than 100 countries and regions, which makes it convenient for Chinese companies to conduct business.

The Dutch workforce is also an attraction, says Potman, offering highly educated and skilled employees who speak English, which makes it easier for Chinese companies who don't speak other European languages.

"For some companies, the Netherlands is also a great test market in terms of branding in Europe. It is a small country, well-connected with on the Internet, which makes it more accessible for markets researches," Potman adds.

The consul general considers it was useful to start the week with an alumni networking event, as educational exchange is a growing part of the bilateral relationship.

"At any year of time, around 3,000 to 4,000 Chinese students are studying in the Netherlands on a variety of subjects, especially business and agriculture. Chinese students are very popular in Phd programs because many of them are very good," he says.

Hundreds of Dutch students come to study in China every year, and the number is increasing rapidly as Chinese universities improve and add more English programs.

"The Chinese alumni who studied in the Netherlands are very important because they are junior ambassadors who have had the experience and can promote the culture and business with personal stories," Potman explains.

"And they are also very interesting candidates for working in Dutch companies in China, since they can understand the culture and companies very well."

Dutch Park in Shanghai
A replica of the famous Keukenhof Park in the Netherlands is located inside the Shanghai Flower Port, the city's largest flower industry base in the Pudong New Area.

Pudong Nederland aka "Holland Town"
Little Holland, near Gaoqiao Town in the northeastern part of Pudong, is a quiet town featuring windmills and Dutch style houses.

Figures
? 20,405
20,405 visa applications from Shanghai office in 2011.

? US$10.3b
Shanghai's trade value with the Netherlands amounted to nearly US$10.3 billion last year.

? US$4.06b
A total of 569 Dutch projects brought US$4.06 billion foreign direct investment from the Netherlands to Shanghai by 2011.