Norway and China resume ties: Norway’s Foreign Minister Børge Brende issued this statement on 19 December following meetings with Chinese Premier Li Keqiang: “I am pleased to announce from Beijing today that we can mark the full normalization of our political and diplomatic relations to China. This opens up significant opportunities for cooperation.”

For Nor-Shipping this means resuming ‘business as usual’ with our Chinese partners, even though we have maintained close and unbroken ties with the Chinese maritime community through the diplomatic freeze.

“This is very good news for maritime cooperation between China and Norway, and truly great news going towards Nor-Shipping 2017,” says Nor-Shipping Director Birgit Liodden. “We launched our new strategy on Chinese New Year earlier this year, featuring a key note by Huawei, and we have already made China a specific focus area. Our upcoming ‘Agenda Ocean Conference’ features a ‘One Belt, One Circle’ session, with insights on the One Belt project combined with the Chinese plans for the Northern Sea Route.”

Shanghai-based Peggy Liu, Chairperson of the Joint U.S. Chinese Collaboration on Clean Energy, will be one of the dynamic and highly inspirational Chinese speakers at Nor-Shipping. “The renewed bonds and cooperation only makes it all the more exciting to welcome the Chinese exhibitors and delegates to Oslo in 2017,” Liodden adds.
 
She also notes that Nor-Shipping and the Norwegian business community have long appreciated China's frontrunner role in the clean energy shift, and as a stabilizing factor in Asia with the OBOR project. Liodden considers this to represent an excellent example of connective collaboration, and applauds the investment plans that will improve development and access to global trade for a number of remote and less developed areas, as well as strengthening attractive trade routes. 
 
“As China's 13th 5-year plan emphasizes their high ambitions on innovation and R&D, this will be a perfect fit with Nor-Shipping's Disruptive Sustainability initiative," Liodden concludes. With relations back to normal, she believes, collaboration on all fronts can resume with full force.  

Nor-Shipping offers congratulations to both countries on this historic and happy resolution to a challenging situation. We feel certain that the strong ties between Norway and China will only grow stronger going forward, and we offer our warmest welcome to Nor-Shipping 2017!

Source:nor-shipping