Takeaways from Norwegian PM Store's China visit

Chinese President Xi Jinping meets with Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing, capital of China, September 9, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]

By Dong Yifan

Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store is in China for an official visit from September 9 to 11. It showed that despite the turbulent and changing international situation, the leaders of the two countries have maintained their traditional friendship, strengthened political mutual trust, and expanded practical cooperation. This has provided a strong and ongoing boost to bilateral relations and collaboration in various fields. Furthermore, it will encourage China and Norway to work together more closely, contributing to regional and international peace and development.

Norway was one of the first European countries to establish diplomatic relations with the People's Republic of China. While the two countries differ in their political systems, in recent years, both sides have managed their bilateral relationship based on the principles of mutual respect and equality, fostering cooperation in various fields with a pragmatic approach.

On the eve of the visit, Prime Minister Store said in an interview with the Norwegian media that Norway and China are friends who respect one another, and that Norway must maintain its cooperation and trade with China. He also expressed a strong interest in China's history, culture, economic development, and international influence.

Prime Minister Store's pragmatic and objective view of China and Sino-Norwegian relations, along with his efforts to strengthen strategic alignment and political dialogue with Chinese leaders will become an important driving force for promoting the stable development of bilateral relations amidst global geopolitical tensions.

In fact, following the outbreak of the Ukrainian crisis, the United States and NATO have been exploiting the so-called security anxieties of European countries to provoke geopolitical confrontation, even urging them to tie up with the U.S. strategy toward China.

As a country at the forefront of the confrontation between NATO and Russia, Norway has encountered significant external pressure. Some politicians have also amplified the argument for closer ties with the West and NATO, attempting to link Norway's policy toward China with the Russian factor.

However, Norway has maintained a more balanced and pragmatic approach, recognizing that cooperation with China and its alignment with the Western camp need not be mutually exclusive. Rather than making decisions driven by values or geopolitical biases that could harm its own interests, Norway has taken a more independent stance. Recently, it has kept its distance from the U.S. and the EU on issues like electric vehicle tariffs, with Prime Minister Store publicly criticizing the false information such as "Chinese electric vehicle safety risks" hyped by Western media.

Additionally, the Norwegian prime minister also rejected the remarks of the outgoing NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg that smeared Sino-Russian relations and sowed discord between China and Europe, stating that Stoltenberg's views "can only represent the position of the United States."

The development of China-Norway relations is also expected to inject new impetus into Sino-European diplomacy. Firstly, Norway's multiple identities as a Nordic country, a non-EU country, a member of the European Economic Area, and an Arctic country determine the uniqueness of bilateral cooperation between the country and China in multiple fields such as economy, trade, culture and politics. Secondly, Norway and China have many common interests in Arctic governance, green transition, industrial cooperation, etc., and have a strong consensus on responding to international security challenges, supporting free trade, and strengthening global governance. China-Norway cooperation on international and regional issues will help both sides play a more constructive role in contributing to the world's peace and stability.

While the United States continues to regard China as a "strategic rival" and take containment actions, it will continue to put pressure on Western countries such as Norway to align with the U.S. strategy toward China. However, regardless of the outcome of the U.S. presidential election, the U.S. foreign policy will most likely continue to be hawkish toward China. In order to protect their own legitimate national interests in economic and political aspects, European countries such as Norway will have to respond to U.S. pressure with a flexible and balanced diplomatic strategy.

Dong Yifan, a special commentator on current affairs for CGTN, is a research fellow with the Institute of European Studies at the China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations.