Royal Norwegian Consulate General in Shanghai

An important meeting on Wednesday in Shanghai for the Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre is to meet with Shanghai Party secretary Chen Jining to discuss opportunities for Norwegian trade and business in China and green transition solutions. The meeting follows up the successful meetings in Beijing where Prime Ministers Støre and Li Qiang agreed on establishing a dialog on Green Transition between Norway and China. Støre brought with him a business delegation consisting of DNV, Kongsberg Maritime, Höegh Autoliners, Nordlaks and Norwegian Shipowners' Association (Norges Rederiforbund) Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Office of the Prime Minister, Norway Shanghai Municipal People's Government #norwegianshipping, #highereducation, #norwaychina

Yesterday, Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre visited China Merchants Industry Holdings Co., Ltd in Haimen for the naming ceremony of the second of the multi-fuel and ammonia-ready Aurora class vessels. The first of the planned 12 vessels was delivered in August 2024. Höegh Autoliners, a pioneer in the maritime industry since 1927, is a leading global provider of ocean transportation and an important Norwegian actor in the Chinese Shipping industry. Accelerating its decarbonization efforts, Höegh Autoliners is building the world's most environmentally friendly car carriers. The Aurora class carriers will each have the capacity of 9100 cars, which makes them among the largest in the world. Back in Shanghai, Prime Minister Støre gave a lecture on Norway's geography and Arctic policies at Fudan University. He also met with Norwegian students and revisited the Nordic Centre, Fudan University on campus. Støre was present at the opening of the Nordic Centre at Fudan in 1995, accompanying the then-Norwegian Prime Minister Gro Harlem Brundtland, and was very happy to be back 29 years later. Several of Norway's largest universities have student exchange agreements with Fudan. The Nordic Centre plays a crucial role in strengthening the cooperation and exchange between academic staff and students from the Nordic countries and China. Støre stated that academic cooperation with China can play a key role in our common ambition to find common solutions to global challenges. It is important for Norway to have good relations with academic institutions and build competence on China in Norway. #highereduation, #norwegianshipping Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Office of the Prime Minister, Norway, Nikolas P. F. Ikonomeas, Rikke Martine Sæther, Caroline Borgen, Ole Eidskrem, Veli-Matti Palomäki (马维), Zhimin Chen, Leif Hoegh, Sebjørn Dahl

Yesterday, Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre arrived in Shanghai after spending the last two days in Beijing, where he met with President of the People’s Republic of China Xi Jinping, Premier Li Qiang and Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress Zhao Leji. Shanghai has long played an important role in Norwegian trade and shipping. The Prime Minister attended a guided walk to learn more about the city and Norwegian history in Shanghai. He also attended an event hosted by the Norwegian Seafood Council. There is a growing demand in China for healthy and sustainable seafood from Norway. Last year, the export of Norwegian seafood to China reached a record high of 8.6 billion NOK. Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Office of the Prime Minister, Norway

During his official visit to China, Prime Minister of Norway Jonas Gahr Støre met with the President of the People’s Republic of Cina, Xi Jinping.   The Prime Minister and the President had an in-depth conversation about the bilateral relations between Norway and China. They also discussed how Norway and China can work more closely together to achieve the climate and sustainability goals. Prime Minister Støre has brought a high-level business delegation to China. He highlighted the many opportunities for Norwegian businesses in China and the potential for further collaboration within the green transition.   Støre also welcomed the announcement by the Chinese President that Norwegian citizens soon will be included in China’s visa waiver scheme. - This will make it easier for Norwegian students, businesses, and others to visit China. It opens up for more cooperation, said Prime Minister Støre. Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Office of the Prime Minister, Norway

Cooperation between the trade unions, the employees' associations and the government, in addition to the close dialogue between employers and employees, has long traditions in Norway. The Norwegian tripartite model fosters collaboration between employers' organizations, trade unions, and the state. This dialogue is important for ensuring stability and creating good policies on workers' rights and social and economic policy. The Norwegian Confederation of Business (NHO) and the trade union confederation (LO) have a long-standing partnership with their Chinese counterparts. This year marks 70 years of diplomatic relations between Norway and China, with Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre visiting Beijing to commemorate the occasion. Along with him followed the two major parts in the Norwegian tripartite cooperation, LO and NHO. Prime Minister Støre opened the meeting by addressing the importance of social dialogue between Norway and the People’s Republic of China. Other speakers included NHO Managing Director Ole Erik Almlid , The Norwegian Confederation of Trade Unions (LO) President Peggy Hessen Følsvik, CEC Vice-Chairman Zhu Hongren, and ACFTU Vice President Xu Liuping.”

We are pleased to announce that Tobias F. Svenningsen has begun his role as the new Consul General in Shanghai! With a career in the Norwegian Foreign Service since 1996, Mr. Svenningsen has held postings in Tirana, Reykjavik, Ottawa, and Berlin. Most recently, he spent five years at the China desk in Oslo. Known as 宋(Sòng) 韬(Tāo) in Chinese, Mr. Svenningsen looks forward to continuing the work on strengthening the bilateral relations between Norway and China. Please join us in welcoming him to his new position! 😀

Norwegian Seafood Council is having a significant presence at the 18th Shanghai International Fisheries and Seafood Exhibition, running from September 28 to 30. They are accompanied by 11 Norwegian seafood exporters, all eager to showcase Norway's renowned high-quality seafood. During the Norwegian Seafood Reception hosted by the Seafood Council, the new Consul General Tobias F. Svenningsen addressed an audience of 170 guests, which included both Norwegian and Chinese seafood exporters and partners. In his speech, Mr. Svenningsen emphasized how Norwegian seafood can meet the growing demand for healthy and sustainable food in China. Sigmund Bjørgo, Director of the Norwegian Seafood Council China, also shared some impressive statistics, revealing that in 2023, the export value of Norwegian seafood to China reached a record high of 8.6 billion NOK. This milestone underscores the growing demand and strong market position of Norwegian seafood in China. The following day, Consul General Tobias Svenningsen visited the exhibition hall, specifically the booths where the "Seafood from Norway" group was stationed, highlighting the strong commitment to promoting Norwegian seafood to the Chinese market. Bergen Seafood AS, Coast Seafood AS, Hofseth International, Lerøy Seafood Group ASA, Mowi, Nordlaks, King of Herring China, Ode, SalMar, Seaborn AS, Sjór. #norwegianseafood, #norwaychina

After three and half years of dedicated service as Consul General in Shanghai, Lise Nordgaard is now returning to the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. During her time in Shanghai, Consul General Nordgaard has had a dynamic and inclusive diplomatic presence in Shanghai as well as in Zhejiang, Jiangsu, Anhui and Jiangxi. Together with #TeamNorway, Lise has launched two business reports on the state of Norwegian business in China and organized «Norway Now» in Shanghai, celebrating 70 years of bilateral diplomatic relations between Norway and China. Lise has actively engaged with local communities in Shanghai and the surrounding provinces, advocating dialogue on important agendas such as #LGBTQ, #genderequality, and #womenenpowerment. Her ability to connect with people, whether in boardrooms or at cultural events, has strengthened Norway’s ties with China in #businesscooperation, #sustainabledevelopment,#innovation, #culturalexchanges, and #publicdiplomacy. Thank you, Lise, for your invaluable work and service! You will be missed but remembered! ❤️ #NorwayInChina #NorwayMFA

Consul General Lise Nordgaard visited the Shanghai Foreign Affairs Office (FAO) on August 8 to bid farewell to colleagues at the FAO. She was received by Deputy Director General Liu Guangdong and representatives from the Consular Department. On behalf of the staff at the Consulate General, Nordgaard expressed her appreciation for the excellent and professional support provided by the Shanghai FAO through her tenure as Consul General in Shanghai. Promoting bilateral relations between Norway and Shanghai, furthering Norwegian and Chinese business cooperation, supporting cultural exchange through art exhibitions, concerts and performances, and working together with Shanghai’s top universities to promote student exchanges between our countries has been some of the priorities during in our cooperation. The Deputy Director General and the Consul General also highlighted the sister-city relationship between Oslo and Shanghai. 

Congratulations, Höegh Autoliners! 👏 👏 👏