Chinese FM vows to further climate change cooperation with Norway

Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Qin Gang meets with members of the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and Defense of the Norwegian Parliament in Oslo, Norway, on May 12, 2023. (Xinhua/Lin Jing)

OSLO, May 12 (Xinhua) -- The combat against climate change and the transition to a model of green development can become new key areas for China-Norway cooperation, visiting Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Qin Gang said here on Friday.

Qin made the remarks while meeting with members of the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and Defense of the Norwegian Parliament. He noted that China's modernization is committed to harmony between humanity and nature.

Qin said, this visit, his first to Norway, aims at enhancing understanding, expanding consensus and promoting healthy and stable development of bilateral relations.

China-Norway cooperation has achieved fruitful results in various fields, which demonstrates that the cooperation conforms to the shared interests of both sides and to the common aspirations from all walks of life in both countries, he added.

China and Norway have different national conditions thus it's normal to have differences, he noted, stressing that the key is to maintain a rational and inclusive attitude, keep the general direction that consensus outweighs differences and cooperation is better than confrontation, and conduct constructive dialogue and communication.

The Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and Defense of the Norwegian Parliament is an important part of the Norwegian foreign policymaking mechanism, Qin said, asking the parliamentary members to make positive and constructive contributions to China-Norway relations.

The Norwegian parliamentary members said that their parliament and people are deeply interested in China, paying close attention to China's development and its role in international and regional affairs, and appreciate China's influence in tackling climate change.

China is Norway's largest trading partner in Asia, and the two countries enjoy extensive cooperation in various areas, they said, adding that the existing differences on some issues do not and should not affect the dialogue and cooperation between the two countries.

Qin also explained China's position on issues involving Ukraine, human rights and China-U.S. relations among others.