Belgium–China relations
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Belgium–China relations began in the early 1970s about 20 years after
mainland China "Mainland China" is a geopolitical term defined as the territory governed by the People's Republic of China (including islands like Hainan or Chongming), excluding dependent territories of the PRC, and other territories within Greater China. ...
came under communist rule. China has an embassy in
Brussels Brussels (french: Bruxelles or ; nl, Brussel ), officially the Brussels-Capital Region (All text and all but one graphic show the English name as Brussels-Capital Region.) (french: link=no, Région de Bruxelles-Capitale; nl, link=no, Bruss ...
whilst Belgium has an embassy in Beijing and consulates in
Guangzhou Guangzhou (, ; ; or ; ), also known as Canton () and alternatively romanized as Kwongchow or Kwangchow, is the capital and largest city of Guangdong province in southern China. Located on the Pearl River about north-northwest of Hong Kon ...
,
Hong Kong Hong Kong ( (US) or (UK); , ), officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China ( abbr. Hong Kong SAR or HKSAR), is a city and special administrative region of China on the eastern Pearl River Delt ...
and
Shanghai Shanghai (; , , Standard Mandarin pronunciation: ) is one of the four direct-administered municipalities of the People's Republic of China (PRC). The city is located on the southern estuary of the Yangtze River, with the Huangpu River flow ...
.


History

Diplomatic relations between the People's Republic of China and the Belgium were established on 25 October 1971.http://www.fmprc.gov.cn – 2003/10/1
China and Belgium
/ref> The diplomatic relationship began to improve and grow during the 1980s with visits from high-ranking governments from both sides such as
Zhu Rongji Zhu Rongji (; IPA: ; born 23 October 1928) is a retired Chinese politician who served as Premier of the People's Republic of China from 1998 to 2003 and CCP Politburo Standing Committee member from 1992 to 2002 along with the Chinese Communist ...
in April 1991 and Vice-premier
Qian Qichen Qian Qichen (; 5 January 1928 – 9 May 2017) was a Chinese diplomat and politician. He served as Chinese Communist Party (CCP) Politburo member from 1992 to 2002, China's Foreign Minister from April 1988 to March 1998, and as Vice Premier f ...
in March 1992. From the Belgium side, Crown
Prince Albert Prince Albert most commonly refers to: *Albert, Prince Consort (1819–1861), consort of Queen Victoria *Albert II, Prince of Monaco (born 1958), present head of state of Monaco Prince Albert may also refer to: Royalty * Albert I of Belgium ...
has visited China in May 1993 and the king of Belgium, Crown
Prince Philippe french: Philippe Léopold Louis Mariegerman: Philipp Leopold Ludwig Maria , house = Belgium , father = Albert II of Belgium , mother = Paola Ruffo di Calabria , birth_date = , birth_place = Belvédère Castle, Laeken, B ...
visited in November 1996 and May 2000. The former prime ministers
Jean-Luc Dehaene Jean Luc Joseph Marie "Jean-Luc" Dehaene (; 7 August 1940 – 15 May 2014) was a Belgian politician who served as the prime minister of Belgium from 1992 until 1999. During his political career, he was nicknamed "The Plumber" and "The Minesweep ...
visited China in November 1998 and Prime Minister
Guy Verhofstadt Guy Maurice Marie Louise Verhofstadt (; ; born 11 April 1953) is a Belgian politician who was the leader of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe from 2009 to 2019, and has been a member of the European Parliament (MEP) from Belgium ...
visited in March 2002. China's Vice President
Xi Jinping Xi Jinping ( ; ; ; born 15 June 1953) is a Chinese politician who has served as the general secretary of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and chairman of the Central Military Commission (CMC), and thus as the paramount leader of China, s ...
has been to Belgium in October 2009 to enhance bilateral cooperation in terms of trade, human and cultural exchanges. The bilateral relationship has increased with economic trade between the two countries. Belgium has a pavilion in the Shanghai Expo 2010. In July 2019, the UN ambassadors from 22 nations, including Belgium, signed a joint letter to the UNHRC condemning China's mistreatment of the
Uyghurs The Uyghurs; ; ; ; zh, s=, t=, p=Wéiwú'ěr, IPA: ( ), alternatively spelled Uighurs, Uygurs or Uigurs, are a Turkic ethnic group originating from and culturally affiliated with the general region of Central and East Asia. The Uyghur ...
as well as its mistreatment of other minority groups, urging the Chinese government to close the Xinjiang re-education camps. In 2019 as punishment for visiting
Taiwan Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia, at the junction of the East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, with the People's Republic of China (PRC) to the northwest, Japan to the nort ...
President of the Senate
Jacques Brotchi Jacques, Baron Brotchi (born 1942) is a Belgian professor of neurosurgery and a politician from the MR. He was elected as a member of the Belgian Senate in 2004. From December 2018 to May 2019, he was President of the Senate of Belgium. Biogr ...
received a lifetime ban from entering China. In June 2020, Belgium openly opposed the Hong Kong national security law


Trade

The trade between the two countries in 2013 came to a value of EUR20.2 billion. China is Belgium's sixth biggest trading partner which makes up 4.1% of Belgium's trade. The trade between the two countries in 2008 exceeded 20 billion and growing on average 20% every year.


Chinese people in Belgium

Qian Xiuling Qian Xiuling (1912–2008), or Siou-Ling Tsien de Perlinghi, was a Chinese-Belgian scientist who won a medal for saving nearly 100 lives during World War II in Belgium. She had a street named after her and a 16-episode TV drama was made of her ...
(1912–2008), or Siou-Ling Tsien de Perlinghi, was an immigrant to Belgium from the
Republic of China Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia, at the junction of the East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, with the People's Republic of China (PRC) to the northwest, Japan to the northeast ...
who helped to save nearly 100 Belgian people from execution by the Nazis during World War II. She won a medal in Belgium and had a street named after her.


See also

*
Foreign relations of Belgium Belgium is a country in Europe and member of major international organizations like the European Union and NATO which are both headquartered in Brussels, Belgium. As a federal state, the Communities and Regions have their own foreign relations ...
* Foreign relations of China * China–EU relations


References


External links


Embassy of Belgium in ChinaEmbassy of China in Belgium
{{DEFAULTSORT:Belgium-China relations Bilateral relations of China
China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...