Chinese Vice President Han Zheng met with Royal Philips CEO Roy Jakobs in Beijing on Tuesday.
At the meeting, Han said that the current international development environment is undergoing complex and profound changes, with increased uncertainty and instability.
Noting that both China and the Netherlands are open economies that advocate, promote and benefit from economic globalization, Han said that China has always been committed to building an open global economy and promoting China-Netherlands and China-EU economic and trade cooperation with high-level opening-up, which will create new development opportunities for multinational companies.
Philips is welcome to continue exploring China's market in an in-depth way, expanding its research and development investment in the country, and playing a positive role in promoting sound development of China-EU economic and trade cooperation, said the Chinese vice president.
Noting that he was encouraged by Chinese President Xi Jinping's important speech at a meeting with representatives of the international business community last week, Jakobs said Philips is optimistic about the prospects of China's economic development and market opportunities.
Philips will continue to adhere to the long-term development strategy in China and promote exchanges and cooperation between the Netherlands and China, he said.
Chinese vice president meets Royal Philips CEO
Chinese vice president meets Royal Philips CEO
A high-level mediation team from the African Union (AU) Commission has been dispatched to Juba, capital of South Sudan, to try to ease the rising tensions between President Salva Kiir and First Vice President Riek Machar, and help resolve the current political crisis in the country.
Riek Machar and several senior officials have been detained since clashes erupted in January between the South Sudan People's Defense Forces and the opposition fighters.
Machar was accused of instigating violence in Nasir in the northern part of the country.
The mediation team says it plans to engage Machar, but that meeting is yet to take place.
The AU is urging South Sudanese political leaders to resolve the current disagreement through dialogue.
Machar heads the largest opposition group that has an armed wing in the country, known as SPLM/A-IO.
South Sudan's government says it's still investigating Machar for being allegedly involved in clashes between government troops and armed civilians affiliated to SPLM/A-IO in Nasir.
"The mandate of the RTGoNU (the Revitalized Transitional Government of National Unity) is simple; that we stop war, we form a revitalized government of national unity so that we return security, sustainable peace in the country," said Martin Elia Lomuro, South Sudan's Minister of Cabinet Affairs.
Meanwhile, Machar's party members are calling on president Kiir to order the release of their leader.
The group argues that the arrest of Machar means the 2018 peace deal which ended five years of violence in the country has partially collapsed.
The government reaffirms its commitment to the implementation of the 2018 peace deal.
It says Mr. Machar is in conflict with the law and that the implementation of the peace deal should not be used as cover to commit crime. However, until now, South Sudanese law enforcement agencies have not charged Machar with any offense in a court of law.
South Sudan, which became independent in 2011, signed a peace deal in 2018 that ended a civil war between forces loyal to Kiir and Machar. Nearly 400,000 people died in the civil war.
Relations between Kiir and Machar, who have dominated South Sudan's politics for decades, remain strained. The clashes and latest political tensions between the two leaders have unsettled many citizens and the international community.
AU dispatches Panel of Wise to address ongoing instability in South Sudan
