Deepening Trade in Services, Unleashing Cooperation Potential: Norway Guest of Honor Event at CIFTIS Boosts Business Cooperation

2026 China International Fair for Trade in Services

BEIJING, Sept. 11, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- As a supporting event of the 2026 China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS), the Norway Country of Honor Promotion Event and China-Norway Business Cooperation Seminar was held at Shougang Park in Beijing on September 9.

The event aimed to deepen exchanges and cooperation between China and Norway in areas such as trade in services, green transition, and digital technology, and to bring bilateral economic and trade relations to a new level.

The event was co-hosted by the Commercial Section of the Norwegian Embassy in China and Innovation Norway. Ragnhild Sjoner Syrstad, State Secretary for Industry and Commerce, Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Fisheries; H.E. Vebjørn Dysvik, Ambassador of Norway to China; Yuan Xiaoming, Assistant Minister of Commerce; and Tang Wenhong, Vice Mayor of Beijing, attended the event.

Participating in the event were also officials from the Ministry of Commerce, the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Commerce, the Beijing Service Trade Affairs Center, Bank of China Head Office, Bank of China Beijing Branch, and Stockholm Branch, Bank of China (Europe) S.A., as well as representatives of Chinese and Norwegian enterprises, business associations, chambers of commerce, and partner institutions.

In his address, Dysvik said that as global economic ties grow increasingly close, cooperation in services, trade, and innovation is playing an ever more important role. From the green transition to digital transformation, many of the challenges facing the world today require strengthened international cooperation and joint efforts to seek solutions through practical measures. Norway and China enjoy a sound and stable bilateral relationship, with continuously growing economic and trade ties and deepening enterprise cooperation and people-to-people exchanges.

Syrstad noted that over the years, Norway and China have built a solid and mutually beneficial economic and trade relationship, with trade, investment, and business cooperation continuously creating value, jobs, and innovation momentum for both countries. China is Norway's largest trading partner in Asia, and high-quality seafood has become Norway's most important export product to China. The two countries share a long history of maritime industry cooperation, covering green shipping, offshore Engineering expertise, and advanced maritime technologies and services. Cooperation in renewable energy, green transition, digitalization, aquaculture, and the health industry also boasts broad prospects.

A signing ceremony for China-Norway enterprise and institutional cooperation projects was held at the event. Six groups of China-Norway cooperation projects were signed, including those between Innovation Norway China and Bank of China Beijing Branch, and between the Kristiansund and Nordmøre Chamber of Commerce (KNN) and the CIFTIS Exhibitors Alliance. Covering financial services, trade promotion, regional cooperation, and other fields, these projects have built a new platform for deepening cooperation between Chinese and Norwegian enterprises.

During the enterprise and institution promotion session, more than 10 Chinese and Norwegian enterprises and institutions, including Aker BioMarine, NYO3, and EcoPharma, delivered thematic presentations on the health industry, financial services, green transition, digital technology, and regional cooperation. They showcased cooperation practices and development opportunities between the two sides, providing a window for participants to gain an in-depth understanding of China-Norway cooperation potential.

As the Country of Honor of the 2026 CIFTIS, Norway took this event as an opportunity to further strengthen exchanges and cooperation with China, demonstrate the broad scope for bilateral cooperation in services trade and industrial sectors, and promote the sustained and sound development of China-Norway economic and trade relations.

CONTACT: Contact person: Ms. Zhu, Tel: 86-10-63074558