Wang Yi Visits Norway; PM Støre: China is an Increasingly Severe Security Challenge

(Central News Agency, reporter Wu Qilin, Helsinki, July 7) Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi visited Oslo yesterday. After meeting with him, Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Støre admitted that China poses an "increasingly severe security challenge" to Norway, and that Norway is strengthening its defenses based on national security and cooperating with allies to reduce its dependence on China.

Wang Yi's visit to Norway was the final stop of his Nordic tour and his second visit to Europe this year. The visit came just before the NATO summit in Turkey. Norwegian public broadcaster NRK analyzed that this trip was an important opportunity for Beijing to directly grasp the direction of relations between Nordic countries and the United States before the summit.

In a government statement after meeting Wang Yi, Støre pointed out that although China is a partner of Norway in many areas, it poses an increasingly severe security challenge to Norway. Therefore, Norway is adopting a more cautious attitude towards China based on national security and cooperating closely with allies to reduce various vulnerabilities, including dependence on Chinese actors.

Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide, on behalf of Norway, signed a new 70-year lease agreement with China for the site of the Chinese Embassy, extending its validity until 2097. Norway will pay China approximately 355 million Norwegian kroner (about 1.16 billion New Taiwan dollars).

When asked about the lease by Norwegian media TV2, Støre stated that Norway has countermeasures against Chinese intelligence activities, saying, "We must monitor it closely, and this must be included in the embassy's security planning."

In 2024, the Norwegian Police Security Service (PST) publicly warned that China was deploying significant resources for intelligence activities in Norway, focusing on technological espionage, suppression of dissidents, and influencing political processes. They also arrested a man suspected of serving Chinese intelligence agencies.

Norway and China share the same goal of a ceasefire in Ukraine, but have clear differences on how to achieve it. Eide frankly stated that he made "strong appeals" to Beijing, urging China to leverage its relationship with Moscow to press Russia to return to the negotiating table unconditionally. He also pointed out that the four Nordic countries conveyed the same stance during Wang Yi's visit, demanding that Beijing stop supporting Russia.

Eide emphasized that human rights issues were also raised during the talks, "concerning the situation of the Uyghurs, Tibet, Hong Kong, and other issues. I raised them today, and I have raised them many times in the past." Norway consistently raises these concerns in diplomatic dialogues. Outside the venue, the Uyghur Committee, the Tibetan Committee, and Falun Gong practitioners gathered to protest.

Sino-Norwegian diplomatic relations suffered a severe setback in 2010 when the Norwegian Nobel Committee awarded the Peace Prize to Chinese dissident Liu Xiaobo. Beijing immediately froze bilateral relations, and they were only gradually repaired starting in 2016. Negotiations for a bilateral free trade agreement, launched in 2008, have yet to be concluded.

Additionally, Eide said that both sides found it easier to reach consensus on climate issues, stating, "China is closer to Norway's position than the United States, and attaches much greater importance to the climate crisis than the United States." (Editor: Tang Shengyang) 1150707

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