The Dutch Foreign Minister, Maxime Verhagen said that China must improve its human rights record and that Olympics is an opportunity to do that. This remark was made by the minister at the discussion organized by his government in response to a call made by a very well known local comedian to boycott the Olympics to protest China's human rights record. Among those who spoke were representatives of the spiritual movement Falun Gong, which is banned in China, and activists protesting China's treatment of Tibetans.
The Chinse made their disapproval of the Dutch remarks and act known by its Ambassador in Netherland, Xue Hanqin in an editorial in "de Volkskrant", a national daily newspaper.
Some information for this report was provided by Reuters and AP.