THE HAGUE, June 28 -- Amsterdam Schiphol Airport serves as the European hub for the Chinese market, playing a crucial role in connecting China and Europe, a leading airport official said in a recent interview with Xinhua.

The strength of the relationship between China and the Netherlands has always been their connectivity, said Schipol's Airline Partnerships Director Wilco Sweijen when addressing an event to mark the 40th anniversary of China's Xiamen Airlines (XiamenAir), and the 9th anniversary of the Amsterdam-Xiamen route.

Many Chinese businesses have set up operations in the Netherlands, Sweijen underlined, using it as a strategic gateway to the rest of Europe.

Emphasizing the synergistic relationship that has flourished between XiamenAir, the Dutch flag carrier KLM, and Schiphol Airport, Sweijen said the partnership connects passengers between the Netherlands and China, and also globally.

The connection goes beyond business to tourism, he said, noting that the extension of China's visa-free policy to 2025 provides an opportunity for people from the Netherlands and other European countries to visit China.

This policy not only simplifies visiting China, but also facilitates connecting through the country to other destinations such as Australia and Japan, Sweijen said.

"For me personally, it's great that there is a visa free policy now," he said. "It's much easier to reach out to my business partners on the other side in China, and to visit them," he said.

"I have been to China many times. It will now be much easier, so I will be in China very soon," Sweijen added.

  - Xinhua