China’s Efforts to Build European Alliances: Norway’s Prime Minister to Meet Key Officials in Beijing

As Western political and economic pressures mount, China is actively working to secure support from European allies. Following an invitation extended to Spain, China has now invited Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre to Beijing, marking a concerted effort to circumvent Western constraints.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning announced at a briefing on Wednesday that Prime Minister Støre will visit China from September 9th to 11th at the invitation of Premier Li Qiang.

Mao explained, “President Xi Jinping is scheduled to meet with Prime Minister Støre. Furthermore, Premier Li Qiang and Zhao Leji, the National People’s Congress Standing Committee chairman, will also meet with him to exchange in-depth views on bilateral relations and mutual interests.”

She emphasized that this year marks the 70th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and Norway. “China places high importance on this relationship,” Mao said. “We aim to enhance political mutual trust and expand practical cooperation. We will work together on green transition initiatives and ensure a stable and healthy bilateral relationship.”

Recently, China has faced limited maneuverability due to trade disputes with the European Union (EU) regarding electric vehicles and NATO’s increasing influence in the Indo-Pacific region. As a result, China has been desperately trying to build alliances by engaging with European countries individually. This is evident from the announcement of Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez’s visit to China from the 8th to the 11th.

The near overlap of Sánchez and Støre’s visit dates underscores China’s strategy to simultaneously engage major Western and Northern European leaders. Xi Jinping and top Chinese officials are set to meet with both prime ministers, signaling China’s strong intent.

Norway is not a member of the EU but still maintains its status as a founding member of NATO. This is another pillar of containment against China, and its influence should not be underestimated. For instance, Norway announced in July that it would provide F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine, which is quite reasonable in this context. It’s clear that China has been keenly interested and has put considerable effort into inviting Norway. Nonetheless, China’s efforts to secure European allies appear to be complex.