China praises Norway’s efforts towards normalisation of relationship between the two countries

A woman reading China DailyBeijing,China.A woman reading China Daily.Photo: Heiko Junge / NTB scanpix

Chinese President Xi Jinping wants more cooperation with Norway, and paid tribute to Norwegian efforts toward normalised relations between the countries, according to the Chinese media.

Prime Minister Erna Solberg was front-page news in the state-controlled Chinese newspaper, China Daily, on Tuesday. The day before, she met Xi Jinping in the Great Hall in Beijing.

The Chinese president expressed hope that China and Norway will strengthen their cooperation on research in the Arctic, and on environmental matters, and that Norway would ‘play a more proactive role in strengthening cooperation between
China and the Nordic countries.’

China Daily reported that it’s been ten years since a Norwegian prime minister visited China. That the relationship between the two countries deteriorated in 2010, due to the Nobel Peace Prize awarded to the Chinese dissident Liu Xiaobo,was not mentioned in the article.

According to the Chinese newspaper report, Solberg also expressed support for the enormous, Chinese plan to build a new Silk Road through Central Asia, via Russia and Turkey, to Europe.

President Xi Jinping also underlined that Norway and China should use this initiative to strengthen Eurasian cooperation and their common development.

The president also expressed a powerful desire for an exchange of cooperation in connection to the Winter Olympics, which will be held in Beijing in 2022. A cooperation agreement was signed during Solberg’s visit.

President Xi hailed Norway’s efforts to get the political relationship between the two countries back on their feet.

Relations and cooperation will be further developed so long as the two countries treat each other equally, and show mutual respect for each other’s core values, and important interests, according to Xi.

These considerations were contained in the joint political declaration between Norway and China signed before Christmas. It was the stepping stone paving the way for normalisation, and which led to Solberg’s official visit during the past five days.

The government have been criticised by various political opponents for having been too indulgent in the declaration. Solberg,however, felt that she had maintained a good tone with President Xi when they met.

She described the meeting as ‘good and fruitful’, and said they’d discussed international issues, and the Chinese President’s meeting with his US counterpart,
Donald Trump, recently, and China’s future cooperation with the United States.

‘It is important for the entire world that China and the United States stand together on a cooperative road forward’, said
Solberg.

 

Source: NTB scanpix / Norway Today