On behalf of the Ningbo Municipal Government and Ningbo citizens, the Mayor extended a warm welcome to the Ambassador and his delegation. He noted that Ningbo enjoys close ties with Norway and established a sister-city relationship with Stavanger as early as 2004. Today, economic and trade exchanges between Ningbo and Norway are developing well, while bilateral cooperation in culture and science continues to deepen. As a maritime powerhouse, Norway is a global leader in areas such as maritime management, smart ports, and green shipping. It is also internationally renowned for its high degree of internationalization and industrialization. Similarly, Ningbo is one of China's key port cities, a major hub for marine industries, and an important center of opening-up and manufacturing. The two sides enjoy strong economic complementarity and share broad prospects for further cooperation.
Ningbo is willing to work together with Norway to promote closer economic and trade cooperation. We will intensify exchanges in scientific and technological innovation, green development and environmental protection, agricultural and fishery products, electric vehicles, and more, and achieve more symbolic outcomes of mutually beneficial cooperation. Ningbo will foster a favorable business environment for Norwegian companies to invest in, and help more high-quality Norwegian products enter the vast Chinese market.
Ningbo is ready to work hand in hand with Norway to elevate port and shipping cooperation to a higher level. We will deepen exchanges in logistics, shipbuilding, offshore wind power, and related sectors, and increase the frequency of international cargo shipping routes between the two sides, thereby unlocking new opportunities for maritime economic growth.
Ningbo is willing to work together with Norway to promote mutual learning and exchanges at a deeper level. We will leverage sister city ties to establish more cooperation platforms in education, science and technology, culture, and tourism. We will strengthen personnel exchanges, continuously foster people-to-people ties, and enhance the relationship between the two peoples, thereby contributing to the development of friendship between the two countries.
The Ambassador expressed his gratitude to the Mayor for Ningbo's warm reception. He noted that during this visit, he had toured several Norwegian companies operating in Ningbo and was pleased to see that they have maintained strong relationships with the local government and received excellent support and services. Ningbo has provided a favorable environment for development, while Norwegian companies have brought competitive technologies and products, using Ningbo as a gateway to both the Chinese and global markets. These companies serve as successful models of bilateral economic and trade cooperation, and offer valuable examples for other Norwegian businesses considering investment in Ningbo. The Ambassador expressed his confidence that exchanges and cooperation between the two sides in the areas of economy, trade, and culture will continue to grow in the future.
Attendees of the meeting included Mr. Ove Nodland, an entrepreneur from Stavanger, Norway and an Honorary Citizen of Ningbo; Ms. BAO Xianping, Director-General of Ningbo Foreign Affairs Office; and Mr. JIAO Shuanglin, Deputy Director-General of Ningbo Foreign Affairs Office.
