Ma Xiaowei, minister of China's National Health Commission(R), meets with Hugo Mattheüs de Jonge, deputy prime minister and minister of health, welfare and sport of the Netherlands on May 7 in Beijing. [Photo/nhc.gov.cn]

Ma Xiaowei, minister of China's National Health Commission, met with Hugo Mattheüs de Jonge, deputy prime minister and minister of health, welfare and sport of the Netherlands on May 7 in Beijing.

Ma and de Jonge signed an MoU on healthcare and public health.

Ma introduced China's policies and measures on healthy ageing, adding that the Netherlands and China share a huge cooperative potential in the area since the two countries facing similar challenges although their ageing societies are in different phases.

The two sides are encouraged to further cooperate and exchange in fields such as long-term care, nurses training and smart elderly healthcare to improve people's health, according to Ma.

De Jonge spoke highly of China's progress on elderly health and the two sides' health cooperation. He said the Netherlands is willing to have more communications with China on common interest areas and promote cooperation between professional institutions.