Sino-Norwegian relations scaling new heights

A long-standing friend of the People's Republic of China, the Kingdom of Norway is now promoting bilateral relations to new heights, Norwegian Ambassador to China Svein O. Saether told China Daily prior to Norwegian Constitution Day to be celebrated on May 17.

Saether said the Norwegian government announced a new China strategy in September last year that will broaden cooperation in a wider range of fields.

"This new policy promotes Norwegian business interests and expertise in China by integrating environmental, climate change and sustainable development concerns in bilateral relations and encourages China's more active role in the world community. It will offer a sound foundation for the two countries' bilateral ties in the future," the ambassador said.

Norway was one of the first Western countries to recognize the People's Republic of China when it did so on January 7, 1950. The two nations established formal diplomatic relations on October 5, 1954.

In the following half a century, Sino-Norwegian relations developed smoothly on the basis of mutual respect and peaceful coexistence, Saether said.

"Norway sticks to the one-China policy, this is another important basis for the long-term friendly ties between the two nations," the ambassador added.

Cooperation in various fields such as politics, economy and culture has increased steadily and yielded remarkable results.

"The political relations are in good shape at present, thanks to the frequent high-level exchanges in recent years," Saether said.

In March last year, Norwegian Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg visited China and held talks with Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao on advancing friendly cooperation in all areas. The two countries signed a number of documents during his visit including a memorandum of understanding in which Norway formally recognized China's full market economy status and an agreement on fishing.

During Foreign Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere's visit in January 2008 Norway and China signed a framework agreement on climate change.

The ambassador said Norway is glad to see China playing a more active and constructive role in international affairs, such as the six-party talks on nuclear issues on the Korean Peninsula.

He said Norway is willing to further intensify cooperation with China.

"In recent years we have held constructive dialog on international affairs such as the issues in Afghanistan, the Middle East and Sudan. Recent moves have included organizing a joint conference on integrated peace-keeping missions, as well as a bilateral conference on disaster risk reduction," said the ambassador.

Economic ties

Saether noted economic ties are also prospering because the economies of China and Norway are complementary to each other.

Since the establishment of diplomatic relations 54 years ago, economic cooperation has developed from simple exchanges of commodities to cooperation in trade, investment and technology transfer.

According to China's customs statistics, trade between the two nations reached $3.82 billion in 2007, increasing 29.3 percent over the year previous. Exports from China to Norway amounted to $2.2 billion and imports from Norway to China hit $1.61 billion, growing by 29.4 percent and 29.1 percent respectively.

China's exports to Norway include textiles, garments, ships, and mechanical and electrical products, while main imports from Norway are crude oil, seafood, fertilizers, aluminum, steel and machinery.

Norwegian investment in China is also on the rise. Statistics from the Chinese Ministry of Commerce show that by September 2007 the number of Norwegian-funded projects reached 276 with a combined actual investment of $285 million.

To further facilitate business links between the two countries, Norway and China have recently held negotiations on a free trade agreement.

Cultural exchanges

Saether noted Norway and China signed a cultural cooperation agreement in 1963, the first of its kind between China and Western countries.

Programs for cultural and educational exchanges have expanded since the 1980s.

Milestones in Sino-Norwegian cultural exchanges include Ibsen Year held in China in 2006 and a Chinese Cultural Festival held in Norway in 2007. Along with a number of other cultural activities, they further enhanced the mutual understanding of the two peoples.

In addition, Saether said Norway is willing to share its expertise and experience in environmental protection and social welfare with China, and a number of cooperation programs in those fields have begun.

Saether took up his post as Norway's new ambassador to China in December last year. He is an experienced diplomat with a long career in Norway's Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He earlier served as Norway's ambassador to Turkey and to Israel.

Saether said this will be a "challenging and rewarding" post for him considering the significance of Sino-Norwegian ties in Norway's foreign policy, and the huge opportunities presented by China's rapidly growing economy.

"My mission here is to follow up the Norwegian government's new China strategy, help the Norwegian people know more about China and convey the true picture of Norway to China," said the ambassador.

(China Daily 05/16/2008 page17)