Denmark’s Tech Ambassador seeks broader cooperation with Chinese tech giants

The visiting tech ambassador of Denmark, Casper Klynge, reiterated on Wednesday his goal to seek broader cooperation with China’s tech giants in an exclusive interview with People’s Daily Overseas Social Media.

The staid civil servant was appointed to serve as the world’s first-ever tech ambassador for a year. “I feel a little bit lonely, but that explains why I came here to seek more partners and to broaden collaboration with China’s tech giants,” Klynge said in the exclusive interview.

(Tech ambassador of Denmark, Casper Klynge;    Photo courtesy of The Royal Danish Embassy in Beijing)

Keen on making nice with tech giants, Klynge, who previously served as Denmark’s ambassador to Indonesia, now represents the Danish government in its efforts to deepen cooperation with China’s powerful tech players in this increasingly important diplomatic field.

Klynge is currently in China for a week-long visit and is interested in the cities of Beijing, Shenzhen, Hangzhou, and Shanghai.

After visiting Beijing-headquartered tech giants like Baidu and Didi Chuxing, Klynge said they he was amazed by the vitality that such Chinese companies demonstrate.

“China has a vibrant environment for tech innovation. We tend to put technology and digitalization more firmly on the international agenda and change the mindset of the tech cooperation with our partners. The most important thing is to have conversations and connections, like establishing diplomatic ties,” said Klynge.

“But we are not putting companies before nation, what we do is an add-on of the national diplomatic act out of national interest,” Klynge stressed.

(Photo courtesy of The Royal Danish Embassy in Beijing)

Technology is fundamentally changing the way we live but also how we govern. “New technology doesn’t respect national borders,” Klynge added.

Meanwhile, Klynge and his team are elevating cooperation on cyber security with nations. “We provide an opportunity to influence the national policy-making and legislation process, just as they influence our lives, which will make a contract between government and tech companies to better serve democracy and civil society,” Klynge said.

China and Denmark have a long partnership on tech cooperation, from wind energy to agriculture. This year marks the 10th anniversary of the establishment of the China-Denmark Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and in February Denmark established its Tech Ambassador Office in Beijing.

Denmark was among the first Western countries to establish diplomatic relations with China, while in terms of bilateral trade, China has remained Denmark’s largest trading partner in Asia for many years and the trade volume has increased remarkably to about $11 billion, according to Xinhua.

(Photo courtesy of The Royal Danish Embassy in Beijing)