In the year 2011 the Netherlands governing coalition achieved a narrow victory in the elections in the House of Representatives. However, the political and social problems it is encountering are too severe to be ignored. For Belgium, it swore in a new government ending a 541-day political deadlock without a government, but the year still saw the normal functioning of state and a continuous economic growth, in spite of the divisions between the Dutch and French-speaking camps. In Luxembourg, economic growth continues but unemployment remains a problem hard to deal with. On the international arena, the Benelux countries held a "common position" towards the Libya issue. As to their relationships with China, all the three of them have participated in the EU-China Year of Youth 2011 by organizing a wide range of activities. <<