Where does robotics really stand today? Which applications are already commercially relevant and: where are expectations perhaps still a bit far ahead of reality? These questions and more were central to the China Café South, in Eindhoven. The evening brought together two complementary perspectives. Jos Elfring, assistant professor of Robotics
VNC China Dining Club Visits Little Asia by Astrid Bouwman A restaurant in Rotterdam North, where tram 6 stops almost right at the doorstep. The name ‘Little Asia’ suggests a modest establishment. In terms of capacity, that’s true – it seats about 30 people. Large posters of the Hong Kong
by Astrid Bouwman The eighth edition of the dining club, March 12, 2026, took place for the first time outside the Randstad, below the rivers, in Eindhoven. Given the place where the participants lived, we could have gone even further south, as far as Maastricht, because that is where a
Sunzi’s book The Art of War is “essentially a plea for caution” The launch of the new Dutch translation of “孙子兵法 (Sūnzǐ Bīngfǎ) – the classic by Sunzi, translated by sinologist and renowned translator Mark Leenhouts (“De kunst van het oorlogvoeren“) – on March 19 sparked a rich discussion on
by Simone Prak Today I was out early for the Tea and Cheese Pairing, organized by VNC. The location was the Verhalenhuis Belvédère in Katendrecht, the first Chinatown in Europe. The pairing was provided by tea sommeliers Joyce van der Zalm and Ameing Tang. Four authentic Chinese teas and four
During the China Café on 2 March in Utrecht, a highly topical and much-debated theme took center stage: investing in China. The evening was opened with warm wishes to the audience for the start of the new Year of the Fire Horse, after which the discussion shifted to the key
by Astrid Bouwman For the sixth edition of the VNC Dining Club, January 23, 2026, we returned to Amsterdam, its bustling De Pijp district – a neighborhood that undoubtedly boasts the highest concentration of restaurants from every corner of the globe. Our choice for the evening was the cuisine of
David Zee On Sunday 25 January, VNC and InBetweeners (a community of curious Chinese people who come together to explore cross-sector topics they care about), hosted a well-attended and inspiring event at Verhalenhuis Belvédère in Rotterdam, exploring the history and lived experiences of the Chinese diaspora in the Netherlands. Through
VNC Event Report Introduction and Opening The session was opened by Lianne Baaij, explaining the goal of this event; exploring how traditional Chinese health principles continue to shape daily routines and wellbeing in contemporary China and how we can learn from this in the Netherlands. She emphasized that in contemporary
