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Kristin Huang

Liu Zhen

Norway and China resumed diplomatic relations on Monday, which have been largely frozen since the 2010 award of the Nobel Peace Prize to a Chinese dissident, Liu Xiaobo, who was sentenced to 11 years in prison in 2009 for “inciting subversion of state power”.
China cancelled meetings with Norwegian officials and denied visas to visiting dignitaries, even though Norway’s government said it had no influence over the Norwegian Nobel Committee that made the award.
Norway and China resume diplomatic ties after 2010 row over Nobel peace prize going to dissident
The two sides have spent three years in talks to rebuild trust.
Here we take a brief look at the history of bilateral relations between Beijing and the Scandinavian nation, which were first established during the Qing dynasty (1644-1911).
Early years of diplomatic relations
Norway has had diplomatic representation in China since 1851, when a Norwegian-Swedish Consulate General was established in Guangzhou during the 1814-1905 union between Norway and Sweden.
In 1853 a vice-consulate was established in Shanghai and 10 years later Shanghai became the Consulate General and the office in Guangzhou was turned into a vice-consulate.
For Norway, China is an emerging power with lots of economic and trade contributions to the world that Norway can’t stand to lose
Yan Jin, Renmin University of China
After the union between Norway and Sweden was peacefully dissolved in 1905, Consul-General Thorvald Hansen was appointed to Shanghai was part of the first group of Norwegian envoys to be sent abroad.
Under the Consulate General in Shanghai there was also a vice-consulate in Hong Kong, where Jorgen Jacob Eitzen was appointed vice-consul.
China’s first official visit to Norway took place in April 1906. The delegation, headed by Dai Hongci, chairman for the Imperial Court’s cultural department, included a visit to Oslo as part of their tour of Europe to study Western political administration and technology.
The Norwegian Embassy in Beijing dates back to 1919, when it was established as a legation. The legation was merged with the Consulate General in Shanghai in 1930 and remained so until 1954, except when it set up as an Embassy in Chongqing from 1943 to 1945.
What is special about Norway and China’s diplomatic and economic ties?
In January 1950 Norway was among the first batch of Western countries to recognise the People’s Republic of China, which had been proclaimed by Mao Zedong on October 1, 1949 following the Communist Party forces victory in the Chinese Civil War.
The two nations established a formal diplomatic relationship in 1954 and exchanged ambassadors one year later.
Norway was also the first country in the West to sign a cultural agreement with China in 1963.
For China, Norway has advantages in the energy industry, ship building, sea transportation and Arctic development – all of which are future cooperative areas between two countries
Yan Jin, Renmin University of China
China is Norway’s top trading partner in Asia, the third largest provider of goods and its fifth-largest trading partner.
Beijing’s main exports to Norway are ships, textiles and garments, and mechanical and electronic products. Norway’s largest exports to China are crude oil, mechanical and electrical products, fertiliser, construction, mining equipment, factory and plant equipment, and salmon, as well as raw metals.
The two maintained close exchanges during the first decade of the 2000s, but these were all but frozen after Liu was awarded the Nobel Prize in 2010.
Norway had a market share of more than 90 per cent of fresh salmon sold in China before 2010, but this had dropped to 30 per cent by mid 2014.
Norway’s government tried to dissuade committee from awarding Chinese dissident Liu Xiaobo Nobel Peace Prize, official alleges

What happened after the Nobel Peace Prize spat?
The Norwegian Nobel Committee, appointed by the Norwegian parliament, awarded the Nobel Peace Prize to the Chinese dissident writer Liu in 2010 for his “his long and non-violent struggle for fundamental human rights in China”. The committee said Liu was “the foremost symbol” of the struggle for human rights in China.
The decision infuriated Beijing, as Liu had been sentenced to 11 years in prison in 2009 for “inciting subversion of state power”. Liu was also a key leader in the Tiananmen Square protests in 1989.
Beijing quickly condemned the award, saying it could damage China-Norway relations, and summoned the Norwegian ambassador in protest.
Since then, the two countries had ceased all top-level contact, and stopped negotiations over a free trade agreement started in 2008, which was almost complete before Liu was awarded the Nobel Prize.
Efforts at reconciliation had mixed results in the intervening years. China boycotted Norwegian salmon and Norway expelled a Chinese doctorate student in 2015 on suspicion of espionage and cited China as a “possible source” of cyber-spying.
On the other hand, Beijing approved of a decision by Norwegian statesmen to avoid meeting the Dalai Lama, another Nobel Peace Prize laureate, when the Tibetan spiritual leader visited Norway in 2014 and 2015. China considers him a separatist.
In 2015 China accepted the Norway as a founding member of its Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, which was considered as a move to break the ice in their frozen ties.
Norway running short of options as it tries to improve ties with China
What can we expect after China and Norway have normalised ties?
A great deal of work between the two nation lies ahead. But the normalisation of ties between China, the second largest economy in the world, and the Arctic nation was a win-win situation for them both, said Yan Jin, director of the Centre for European Studies at Renmin University of China.
“For Norway, China is an emerging power with lots of economic and trade contributions to the world that Norway can’t stand to lose,” Yan said.
“For China, Norway has advantages in the energy industry, ship building, sea transportation and Arctic development – all of which are future cooperative areas between two countries.”
The Norwegian government is planning additional political visits to China in spring 2017.
A diverse group of business representatives will accompany the Norwegian delegation.
Since 2007, China has participated as an ad hoc observer at Arctic Council meetings, allowing it to gain a better understanding of the council’s work.
In 2008, Beijing began officially expressing its intentions to become a permanent observer to the Arctic Council and finally got the status in May 2013.
Norway has said it welcomes China as a partner to develop Arctic energy resources. It is doing business with China’s China National Offshore Oil Corporation.
The Arctic region could provide Beijing with shipping benefits, rich resources, polar research advantages and help Beijing’s to increase its geopolitical influence in proportion to its economic power.


Let’s put Nobel spat behind us: a look back at China and Norway’s ties

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi (right) with Norwegian counterpart Børge Brende in Beijing on Monday. Photo: Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs

epa02383244 (FILE) An undated Liu Xia handout image showing of jailed Chinese dissident and civil rights activist Liu Xiaobo in Beijing, China. Liu is considered a candidate for the 2010 Nobel Peace Prize. Dissident Chinese writer and human rights activist Liu Xiaobo wins Nobel Peace Prize for 2010, it was announced in Oslo, Norway 08 October 2010. EPA/LIU XIA/HANDOUT EDITORIAL USE ONLY/NO SALES

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Ties restored on Monday after a six-year diplomatic freeze caused by awarding of Nobel Peace Prize to Chinese dissident
