Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre’s official visit to China from Monday to Wednesday provides the two sides with a good opportunity to have an in-depth exchange of views on bilateral relations and issues of mutual interest.
It is believed that as one of the first senior Western officials to visit China this year, Norwegian Minister of Foreign Affairs Espen Barth Eide paved the way for Støre’s visit during his trip to Beijing in February.
During Støre’s meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing on Monday, the two leaders expressed the common aspiration to deepen bilateral cooperation in energy, marine transportation, agriculture and fishery, electric vehicles, artificial intelligence, climate change and biodiversity, and to promote the green transition of the two countries.
That is undoubtedly an encouraging sign that despite some countries’ attempts to decouple their economies from China’s, Norway still holds a correct perception of China’s development and the important role it plays as a pillar of the multilateral trade system, and it upholds its strategic autonomy to develop Sino-Norwegian ties on an equal footing with mutual respect and based on win-win cooperation.
The two leaders also agreed that the two countries will hold a series of activities to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations and to push forward the facilitation of people-to-people exchanges. That’s conducive to enriching the two peoples’ understanding of each other, further consolidating the foundation for bilateral ties.
In so doing, the two countries can work together to carry forward their traditional friendship, consolidate their mutual political trust, and expand their common interests. The complementarity of their economic structures and development stages means the two countries have great potential to strengthen their cooperation to make the Sino-Norwegian relationship more mature and resilient.
China appreciates the Norwegian government’s objective, rational and friendly view of China’s development, its adherence to the one-China principle and its friendship with China.
Although China and Norway have different national conditions and systems, they should properly handle their differences and accommodate each other’s core interests and major concerns.
They should be promoters of stability, peace and prosperity in the international community.