Dutch FM: Free trade agreement one of top priorities

The Dutch government wants to push the global free trade, and "a comprehensive free trade agreement will be one of my top priorities in the next coming years," Dutch foreign minister Frans Timmermans told Xinhua here on Monday. Shortly before his departure to China, Timmermans said at a meeting with foreign reporters, that "the relations with China are developing in a very positive way." "I want to try to elaborate a number of issues where both the relationship between China and the Netherlands and the relationship between China and Europe can actually be enhanced," he explained the purpose of his visit to China. According to the minister, "trade and investments are of extreme importance," and the free trade agreement between the European Union and the U.S. is "the real game changer." "That is going to be a real game changer, because the rest of the world will want to be part of that in some way or form, and it will liberalize trade and I think we need this," he continued. Timmermans also commented on the solar panels issue between China and European Union (EU). "The Dutch government, like the German government, truly believes that there should be no confrontation between the EU and China on the issue of solar panels," he said. "I think we should come and find a compromise here. We have been urging the European commission to try carefully here, there are more things at stake than just one issue in the long term relationship between the EU and China." "I believe there is a very broad and interesting agenda here bilaterally and also at the global level and I am encouraged by the first steps taken by the new Chinese government," Timmermans said.