Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen has stressed dialogue with China as he met Wang Yi, top diplomat of the world’s second-largest economy.
“China is indispensable politically as well as economically. That's why dialogue matters - also on issues we disagree on,” according to a statement by Rasmussen released by the Danish Foreign Ministry on US social media platform X.
Rasmussen hosted on Thursday Wang, who is on a week-long tour of four Nordic nations – Denmark, Sweden, Finland and Norway.
The Danish foreign minister said he “had honest (and) good discussions” with Wang about Danish-Chinese relations, trade policy and the Russia-Ukraine war.
According to a statement on the meeting released by Beijing, Wang said bilateral relations maintained “healthy and stable development,” given China is the Nordic nation’s top trading partner in Asia.
Recalling that Denmark was the first Nordic country to establish a comprehensive strategic partnership with China in 2008, Wang told Rasmussen that Beijing hopes Copenhagen “would play a constructive role in promoting the healthy and stable development of EU-China relations.”
“China and the EU are partners, not adversaries; cooperation should be the fundamental aspect and main theme of China-EU relations,” he said.
Wang’s visit marks 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 in June.
The Chinese foreign minister is expected to meet Danish King Frederik on Friday.
He will later fly to Stockholm to meet Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson and Foreign Minister Maria Malmer Stenergard.
His third stop would be Helsinki to meet Finnish President Alexander Stubb and top diplomat Elina Valtonen, before flying to Oslo to meet Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide next week.
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