News from the chairman
It’s spring again! After my launch in October last year, it is time again for another General Assembly, an AGM in which we will discuss the 2022 figures, but also the activities we have organized after that. It is also time to introduce to you some new prospective board members of our association. We will hold another ALV in the last quarter of this year after which the official appointment of new board members can take place. We are pleased with the arrival of Lan Louwé-Wang, who has already warmed up and helped organize various activities over the past few months. Lan is well known to the VNC; she has served on the VNC board in the past. Lan attended Tianjin University and graduated in “electrical and electronics engineering.” After coming to the Netherlands, she worked independently as an interpreter and translator NL -Chi, ENG-Chi (native speaker).
I would like to urge you, if you want to play an active role in our association, to sign up quickly. It is just under two weeks before we will meet on May 13 at the offices of our association in The Hague and online via zoom so that more members can join! Below in this newsletter you will find more information about the upcoming ALV
Our volunteers in the office Marlène Tjon and Huub Gulickx have done a lot of work in the past months after all the corona perils to update and improve the membership records again. Many thanks to them. We are also very happy Hao Su who together with Huub Gulickx and a board member form the VNC working group “IT and Digitalization”, manage the website and work out proposals for an effective contemporary form of digital communication. We hope to soon be able to position ourselves even better on social media as well.
One last note about our magazine “China Now,” it has been around for a long time, even longer than the VNC itself! Unfortunately, due to increased costs, finding the financial resources for it is quite a challenge. We have plans to attract advertisements and raise additional income this way. If you can help us with this in any form, we would love to hear from you. Until May 13!
The VNC strives to share knowledge about China. We want to keep an open dialogue with China, and all facets of this distant country can be the subject of our attention. We are an association, so I urge all of you to think with us when it comes to topics we can bring to our attention. Also, of course, you may recruit new members!
Monique
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You will come, won’t you?
Invitation General Membership Meeting May 13.
The Board of the Netherlands China Association (VNC has the pleasure to invite members to attend the General Membership Meeting on Saturday, May 13, 2023,
11:00-12:30 a.m. in the meeting room on the 1st floor of the VNC office, Burgemeester van Karnebeeklaan 6, The Hague. The meeting documents, agenda and annual report 2022 will be sent to you by mail or by post before the end of this month. These documents and other relevant documents are available for inspection by members at the VNC office (please make an appointment in advance).
Member proposals for consideration at the AGM can be sent in by May 10. We look forward to welcoming you on May 13. After the meeting you are cordially invited for drinks and refreshments. Catering would be pleased if you send word that you will be attending the May 13, 2023!
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Worth repeating!
Successful VNC lecture series “View of China”
On April 4 11, and 18, the VNC successfully welcomed some 25 trainees to a trio of lectures held both online and on location at the VNC office. These lectures focused on the fascinating developments of nearly 5,000-year-old China, its empires, dynasties and modern China. No super-digital narrative, but a thorough familiar VNC approachcombined with a contemporary zoom-twistunder the motto and objective of promoting interest and contacts between the Netherlands and China in both cultural and economic fields and keeping the dialogue going.
The VNC effectively set up the lectures with the input of China experts from its own membership. Two experts who can draw on years of experience and in-depth knowledge about China compiled the content of the three lectures. The many enthusiastic reactions after the lecture series clearly indicate that this initiative is worth repeating. Feedback from both students and lecturers was also very positive and constructive. The lecturers and VNC members Frans Greidanus and Lianne Baaij have indicated to the board that they would also like to assist the VNC in other activities. It has now been decided to continue the lecture series, which will include other topics and themes on the program. To be continued!
Frans Greidanus was responsible for research in video, audio and data storage from 2000 as a member of the Philips Research management board. From 2005 to 2013, he was head of Philips Research Asia and CTO Philips Asia, based in Shanghai. Frans is currently Qiushi Chair Professor at the School of Management of Zhejiang University in Hangzhou, China, and an active member with the Association Netherlands China.
Lianne Baaij is a graduate sinologist and certified interpreter-translator and CRKBO recognized Chinese trainer. Lianne is owner of translation and consultancy agency China Access.
Lianne is fluent in Chinese and has extensive knowledge of Chinese (business) culture. Lianne is a member of the Chinese section of the Levende Talen teachers’ network and is an active member and volunteer with the Netherlands China Association.
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VNC presents “Dance and music from China”
On Saturday afternoon, March 4, in Theater en cultuur center Glasbak, Almere, the VNC organized an afternoon on Chinese music with soprano Limin Yang and her students. Monique Knapen, chairwoman of the VNC presented the afternoon. Limin told about her career (including her participation in Hollands Got Talent) and sang 3 songs. The children sang in Chinese and Dutch and danced a special ‘bunny dance’. They were dazzling performances and the audience got a glimpse into the peculiarities of Chinese music; 5 scales instead of 7 in the West and insight into the special musical instruments.
Limin Sichi Yang graduated from the Royal Conservatory in The Hague and has given solo concerts in the Concertgebouw Amsterdam and other major concert halls. She is also President of Netherlands-China Cultural Exchange Foundation and founder of Yang Musicals Center in Shanghai, Limin has more than ten years of experience in teaching in music theaters. Since Aug. 2022, her foundation has been organizing a Sino-Dutch singing and dancing camp. Children of both Chinese and Dutch descent sing Dutch and Chinese songs together and they dance together. It is a fun way to learn another language and culture and it is good for their development and self-confidence. (Photos: Josina Wu)
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VNC a guest at NUFFI’s China day
The VNC was a “special guest” at the annual national student activity organized by the Nuffic on Friday, April 14, 2023, at the Belvedère Verhalenhuis in Rotterdam From about thirty schools in the Netherlands, upper school students came on this China day.
VNC President Monique Knapen gave an engaging introduction to the VNC’s activities and discussed opportunities for further introductions and joint projects.
Nuffic, is the Dutch organization for internationalization in education. From primary and secondary education to mbo, higher education and research, and adult education.
Nuffic’s ambition is for every pupil and student to gain international experience. Because where worlds come together, the most beautiful things are created. Nuffic is headquartered in The Hague, and with 11 offices worldwide, Nuffic brings people, languages and cultures together and encourages everyone to push their own boundaries. Together with national and international partners, Nuffic is committed to the development of pupils and students, and to the growth of teachers, professionals and organizations to put the Netherlands on the map as a leading knowledge country.
Nuffic has a large Chinese network with 26 schools with more than 50 teachers and 3000 students. During the national on Friday, April 14, 2023, workshops included a walking tour of Katendrecht to the “roots” of the Chinese community in the Netherlands combined with a very interesting lecture on porcelain by Ms. Van Dongen, curator of the Museum Boiijmans and workshops with calligraphy.
Thanks to the organizers of the NUFFIC for this exciting day with many new leads for further cooperation with the VNC and Nuffic. To be continued!
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“How Chinese Entrepreneurs Thrive in Uncertainty”
The VNC attended the China Café event organized by Leiden Asia Centre on April 24. A fascinating meeting! Together with entrepreneur Aldo Spaanjaars and correspondent and journalist Eefje Rammeloo, we discussed the impact of deteriorating political relations between the U.S. and China on foreign companies and the impact on Chinese investors in Europe. It addressed pressing questions such as “What is the extent of the impact of political differences on economic partnerships? How do Chinese entrepreneurs view collaborations with European companies and what changes have occurred since Covid?”
An engaging meeting that provided insight into the world of entrepreneurship on both sides with suggestions on how entrepreneurs can keep their cool when balancing political rhetoric and economic-strategic choices.
A new management book with wise lessons and management methods for Western entrepreneurs to respond to the continuing wave of change in business.
The VNC, as one of the most important China-related organizations in the Netherlands had the special pleasure to exchange views with Aldo Spanjaars. A fresh perspective and new ideas! Topics and visions that appeal and about which the VNC would like to continue with him!
Global conflicts, environmental challenges and rapid digitalization are just some of the unpredictable factors that are putting increasing pressure on traditional business models. Chinese entrepreneurs know how to thrive in uncertainty: they have grown their businesses in an environment that has taught them to adapt and thrive in chaos and overcome constant challenges of uncertainty.
Aldo Spaanjaars knows what he is talking about! He has been successfully operating in China since 1992, building bridges between Chinese and Western cultures. His knowledge and experience on China range from creating award-winning advertisements, managing retail chains in sports and fashion, to investment management. He currently leads consulting firm, Dragon Strategies. Until the end of 2022, Aldo was Executive Vice President, Outdoor at Anta Sports, China’s No. 1 domestic sportswear company and the third largest in the world. During his 25-year career in China, Aldo has held several top positions including VP Operations at Fosun Fashion Group, CEO of Lacoste Greater China, COO of Adidas Greater China and co-founder of advertising agency J.Walter Thompson Beijing.His extensive experiences, both at multinational and domestic companies, have given him a unique perspective on how to become and remain successful in China. Having worked with China’s most successful entrepreneurs, he co-wrote the recent book “Dragon Tactics: How Chinese Entrepreneurs Thrive in Uncertainty “.
A “must” for those truly interested in China!
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Invitation to the Solo Exhibition ‘Frozen Moments’ by Wang Wensheng
At the invitation of Axel Lemmens, director of Art The Hague and the WTC The Hague Art Gallery, the VNC attended the opening of the solo exhibition “Frozen Moments” at the WTC on Friday, April 21. In collaboration with EurAsian Culture Exchange Foundation (EACES), watercolors and oil paintings by renowned Chinese painter Wang Wensheng will be displayed under the title Frozen Moments.
Wang Wensheng enjoys international fame for his portraits and landscapes. This is his first exhibition in the Netherlands. In Europe, he has previously exhibited in Italÿ at the Venice Biennale, Austria, Germany and Belgium. His watercolors are snapshots, frozen moments, in which he comments on the contemporary “condition humaine” like a subjective chronicler, while his landscape paintings give a personal interpretation in oil to the traditional Shan shui genre of rivers and mountains through his play with light and shadow.
Axel Lemmens is director of Art The Hague, the quirky contemporary art fair that surprises art lovers and collectors with work by a number of top international artists. With a strong selection of some 50 galleries, Art The Hague’s regular “lineup” is also a major player. Axel Lemmens co-organized 2015’s “798 art exhibition” in collaboration with the VNC, The Hague City Hall and a dozen galleries. Axel can look back at many great experiences with the VNC and emphasizes that VNC Members are welcome to visit Wang Wensheng’s Solo exhibition “Frozen Moments” at WTC The Hague as his guest!
The exhibition at WTC The Hague runs through May 14, 2023! (admission free)
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VNC Symposium “China and the Maritime World” Schiedam Friday, March 24
In the crowded hall of the brand new Havendijkhotel in Schiedam on March 24, Dr. Bart Kuipers, one of the authors of the research report ” Navigating an uncertain future” (prepared i.o. by the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management & Ministry of Foreign Affairs) gave a lecture deals with the question “What is the expected development of China’s influence on the central position of the Dutch maritime-logistics hub function in the coming decades and what is the action perspective for the Dutch government that follows from this?” The program was opened by the Chairman of the Committee of Recommendation Mr. Bernard Bot and moderated by Monique Knapen, Chairman of the VNC.
Bart Kuipers discussed a number of scenarios and a number of opportunities for the maritime logistics sector to respond to a future role that China may play in logistics within Europe and the Netherlands. This was particularly interesting for companies from the Rotterdam/Schiedam port area. After all, here are dozens of companies that account for more than 300,000 direct and indirect jobs and more than 100,000 incoming and outgoing containers per week, to China. We must stay in touch with China and as was recently stated during a hearing in the Lower House, cooperation with China must, it also offers benefits!
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The well-known Dutch platform for those interested in China is ending after 10 successful years.
Very unfortunate! China2025.nl, like the VNC, is a true China expert. It is unfortunately yet another China-related organization to cease its activities. Important organizations such as the Young Dragons, Guanxi and many others preceded and stopped in recent years due to diminished interest, declining membership and or insufficient funding. May 28 marks exactly 10 years since China 2025 went live.
Sad also because over the past 10 years China2025.nl has developed into a well-known Dutch China blog that publishes on a wide variety of topics and China events and brought them to the attention of a wide audience. Like the VNC, China2025.nl is independently and autonomously organized. Both editorial board members and the bloggers are volunteers.
Hopefully the editors and bloggers can use their knowledge and experience elsewhere and put it to use in a new setting. In any case, many thanks for 10 years of blogging pleasure !
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Delegation from Yangzhou
The VNC was invited on March 23 to the reception of a high-ranking delegation from the city of Yangzhou. Yangzhou is located on the northern bank of the Yangtze River and borders the provincial capital of Nanjing. This city is historically known as a city prefecture in the center of the eastern province of Jiangsu, People’s Republic of China called the “Rising Prefecture,” referring to its former position as the capital of the ancient prefecture in imperial China.
Historically, Yangzhou was one of the richest cities in China. Known for its great merchant families, poets, artists and scholars. Yangzhou was also one of the first cities to benefit from World Bank loans, which were used to build the Yangzhou Thermal Power Plant. But even today, Yangzhou is both economically and culturally, a very important city with many millions of inhabitants. A city with internationally valuable connections and relationships with other cities around the world.
Dutch city ties with China are unfortunately under fire. Especially now that geopolitical tensions are increasing. Many cities like Breda once established intensive ties with Chinese cities but are now reluctant or unfortunately even dismissive in continuing these relationships.
The VNC considers it important to keep the dialogue with China going and concurs, among other things, with the recent China briefing in the House of Representatives and the speech by U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen on Thursday, April 20, who, like European Commission President Ursula on der LEYEN, recently pointed out that the dialogue must continue and decoupling of the Chinese and Western economies would be disastrous.
There are so many facets of this distant country that can still be the subject of our attention. The motto is: cooperation with China should be where it can be, it also offers benefits!
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Mei Yang podcasts “Our Cultures & Our World ” interviewed Monique Knapen
VNC member Mei Yang makes podcasts that, like the VNC, focus on the relationship with China. She is Chinese but lives and works in the Netherlands.
May has since interviewed VNC members Frans Greidanus and Lianne Baaij about their lecture series. She also recently created a wonderful podcast about Monique Knapen and her experiences as a student to her current activities as president of the VNC . A great opportunity to learn more about the VNC and its president!
Herewith more information about Mei Yang and her podcasts: https://iibboo.com/podcast/
Learn more about Mei Yang’s podast ” Our Cultures & Our World ” .
You can view or listen to all podcast episodes on the following platforms:
– YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDsqDuyz60zuu-eIxxDpCxQ
– Spotify: https: //open.spotify.com/show/23MDLHw0ZIZEo05AsNhwjq
-Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/our-cultures-our-world/id1650591999
– GooglePodcast: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5idXp6c3Byb3V0LmNvbS8yMDY5NTYxLnJzcw – Buzzsprout Podcast website: https: //www.buzzsprout.com/2069561
