国内英语资讯:Spotlight: Normalization of China-Norway ties to boost bilateral cooperation, global trade_时事

国内英语资讯:Spotlight: Normalization of China-Norway ties to boost bilateral cooperation, global trade

OSLO/BEIJING, Dec. 20 (Xinhua) -- China and Norway on Monday decided to normalize their relations after six frozen years, ushering in a new era for the development of bilateral ties.

The thaw of relations, as many observers expected, would inject new impetus into bilateral practical cooperation and global trade in general, as the two sides have agreed to resume free trade negotiations and to promote trade and investment.

Commenting on the normalization of ties with China, Norway's Prime Minister Erna Solberg said Monday that opportunities are opening up for her country's cooperation with China.

"On the basis of a joint declaration we establish, from today, a full normalization of our political and diplomatic relations with China," Solberg said in a speech to the Storting, Norway's national parliament.

"Norway has had no political contact with China since 2010. This has been challenging for us in many international contexts and in many individual cases. It has also been challenging for Norwegian industry," she said.

China-Norway relations deteriorated since the Oslo-based Nobel Committee conferred the 2010 Nobel Peace Prize on convicted Chinese criminal Liu Xiaobo. Liu was sentenced to 11 years in jail on Dec. 25, 2009, after a court in Beijing convicted him of engaging in activities designed to overthrow the government.

"The fact that we now have been able to normalize our relationship is the result of a long and painstaking diplomatic work at many levels to restore confidence between our two countries," Solberg said in the speech.