King Harald invited on a state visit to China

Prime Minister Erna Solberg.HANGZHOU, China.Prime Minister Erna Solberg.Photo: Heiko Junge / NTB scanpix

King Harald is invited on a state visit to China. The visit may take place in the autumn of 2018, if it is convenient for the Chinese government then, says Prime Minister Erna Solberg.

It became clear when Erna Solberg met the Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing on Monday. We are now working to find a date that suits both parties, and the royal house has signaled that autumn 2018 is suitable for the king.

In his greeting to the king’s 80th birthday in February , the Chinese President wrote “Welcome to China”.

– I have the honor to convey personal greetings from King Harald. He appreciated your greetings on his 80th birthday. He is pleased to accept your invitation to come on a state visit to China, said Solberg to Xi.

Hospitality
The Royal Family was on an official visit to China 20 years ago, in the autumn of 1997. In their time as the Crown couple , King  Harald and Queen Sonja also visited the country twelve years previously.

They were also in China in 2008 in connection with the Olympics, and  Erna Solberg then also visited the country as a parliamentarian.

Solberg stressed that she greatly appreciated the hospitality China has shown during her visit.

Highlight
The talks with the mighty Chinese president is the end and the highlight of Solberg’s four-day visit to China. The visit is  a Norwegian prime minister’s first visit to China in ten years.

Solberg  has been accompanied by Foreign Minister Børge Brende (H) and Minister of Industry Monica Mæland (H) during the visit. A large delegation of representatives from Norwegian industry also travelled with the Prime Minister.

The visit to China came into being after the relations between Norway and China were normalized after a six years freeze of political relations.

 

Source: NTB scanpix / Norway Today

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