The Dutch Embassy in Beijing announced the closure of its consulate in Chongqing, a megacity in southwest China, on Mar. 1. The statement posted on social media revealed that the Embassy in Beijing would now have jurisdiction over Chongqing, Sichuan, Shaanxi, Yunnan, and Guizhou. The official website of the Dutch Embassy did not provide any specific details about the closure of the consulate general. Representatives at a gathering in Chengdu on the same day mentioned that the consulate was closing due to limited business presence in the area.
Foreign investors are pulling out of China, prompting the communist regime to seek new foreign investments amid an economic decline. China’s foreign ministry confirmed its respect for the Netherlands’ decision to shut down its consulate. Currently, only a few countries have consulates in southwest China, such as Japan, Canada, and Hungary. The move by the Netherlands reflects a strategic shift in response to geopolitical tensions and declining investments in China as perceived by the international community.
Earlier this year, ASML, a semiconductor equipment maker in the Netherlands, had its license partially revoked by the Dutch government to export chip-making equipment to China due to concerns about military use. Taiwan, a key player in the semiconductor industry, perceives its chip sector as a security measure against potential threats from China. The Dutch journalist incident in Chengdu, where police prevented a reporter from recording, raised concerns about press freedom in China.
The closure of the Dutch consulate in Chongqing signifies a distancing from the CCP and a shift in international strategy based on EU and US policies. The growing economic threat posed by China, highlighted by the Dutch intelligence service, has led to a “de-risking” strategy adopted by the US and EU. This move by the Netherlands may signal a future where they view China more as a competitor than a partner, leading to a shift in diplomatic relations. The specific political reasons behind the closure were not publicly disclosed, but it reflects a broader trend of countries re-evaluating their engagement with the CCP.