Chinese premier to visit Netherlands

Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao will visit the Netherlands from Dec. 7 to 9, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Zhang Qiyue announced Thursday.

The premier will attend the Seventh China-EU Leaders' Meeting in the Hague, together with Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende of the Netherlands, which holds the rotating European Union (EU) presidency, European Commission (EC) President Jose Manuel Barroso, and Javier Solana, secretary general of the Council of the European Union (EU) and representative for the EU Common Foreign and Security Policy, the spokeswoman told a regular press conference.

During his stay, Wen will also pay an official visit to the Netherlands as guest of his Dutch counterpart Balkenende, Zhang said.