THE HAGUE - Because of its substantial economic growth and considerable effort to get New Energy Vehicles off the ground, China is regarded as a promising trade partner for giving impetus to smart zero emission mobility, said a Dutch government statement published Friday.

Dutch State Secretary for Infrastructure and Water Management Stientje van Veldhoven made this remark in Shanghai on Thursday, according to the statement.

Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte and government officials are accompanying a large trade mission to China this week. Some 165 companies and knowledge institutions are taking part in this trade mission.

"I perceive great interest in the Dutch commitment to smart and green mobility, because in China this is of the essence as well," Van Veldhoven was quoted as saying in Shanghai. "There is a great deal to be learnt from them, because whatever the Chinese do, they go about it on a large scale. Chinese car manufacturers are opening factories that only produce electric cars, and before long, cars without a fossil fuel engine will account for some 5 percent of all new cars here," she said.

"Shanghai alone accommodates 200,000 new energy vehicles. This is a development to be applauded, because the scale expansion offers opportunities for the business community. In addition, it cuts costs, as a result of which driving an electric vehicle becomes affordable. This benefits our health, the climate, and our economy" she added. Van Veldhoven is visiting China with representatives from 39 companies engaged in sustainable mobility and/or committed to a circular economy.

The Dutch government has set out a plan that by 2030 all new passenger cars in the Netherlands must be new energy vehicles.