China's foreign minister will pay an official visit to four Nordic countries this week as Beijing seeks to deepen political engagement and expand cooperation with the region amid evolving global geopolitical and economic dynamics.
Wang Yi will visit Denmark, Sweden, Finland, and Norway on July 2-8 at the invitation of their foreign ministers, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said Tuesday.
Guo said the four countries were among the first European nations to recognize the People’s Republic of China and establish diplomatic relations, giving both sides “a profound history of friendly ties.”
He said relations have developed steadily in recent years, with cooperation expanding in green transition, trade, investment, and scientific and technological innovation. The two sides also share a broad consensus on supporting multilateralism, free trade, and tackling climate change.
During the trip, Wang will hold talks with his counterparts on bilateral ties as well as regional and international issues of mutual interest.
According to the ministry, Denmark is China’s comprehensive strategic partner in Northern Europe. The visit will mark the first by a Chinese foreign minister to Denmark in 15 years and the first face-to-face high-level meeting since Denmark’s new government took office.
Sweden is China’s largest trading partner in Northern Europe. Wang’s trip will be the first visit by a Chinese foreign minister to Sweden in 22 years, with Beijing saying it hopes to strengthen communication, deepen mutual trust, and expand practical cooperation.
China described Finland as a “future-oriented new-type cooperative partner.” Beijing said recent visits to China by Finland’s president, prime minister, and parliament speaker have maintained close high-level exchanges, with the upcoming visit expected to inject fresh momentum into bilateral cooperation.
Norway, meanwhile, was among the first countries to recognize China’s market economy status.
Chinese officials highlighted Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store’s visit to China in 2024 marking the 70th anniversary of diplomatic ties, saying Wang’s visit would focus on advancing cooperation, including in green transition, while promoting the continued stable development of bilateral relations.
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