Zeeland seeks to deepen ties with Shenzhen

Tourist map of Zeeland

Zeeland Province of the Netherlands will explore more opportunities with Shenzhen in sectors like trade and investment, logistics, port cooperation, and tourism, said the province’s deputy head Jo-Annes de Bat.

“The economic cooperation between China and the southwestern region of the Netherlands has become more intensive in recent years,” said de Bat, who led a 10-member delegation to China and had a meeting with Wang Lixin, deputy mayor of Shenzhen, at the Civic Center yesterday.

The delegation arrived in Shenzhen on Sunday, marking de Bat’s first visit to the city.

“For decades, Zeeland Province has been famous for tourism, fishery, agriculture and aquaculture. However, Zeeland is also quite industrialized. Key industries include the chemical industry, food industry and ship building,” de Bat said.

According to de Bat, Zeeland and Shenzhen Fantawild Holdings Inc. are currently joining hands on a theme park project in the province.

Wang said that Shenzhen has very good economic ties with the Netherlands and the country is considered by many Shenzhen citizens as the best tourist destination. He looks forward to more bilateral cooperation and exchanges with the country.

Located in the southwest of the Netherlands, Zeeland Province covers an area of 2,930 square kilometers, of which 1,140 square kilometers is water, and has a population of about 380,000.

According to official statistics, from January to April this year, Shenzhen’s total imports and exports to the Netherlands amounted to US$1.92 billion, an increase of 13.54 percent over the same period last year.

By the end of 2018, the Netherlands had invested in 105 projects in Shenzhen, with contractual foreign investment reaching US$432 million.