Asia Fortune Forum aims to promote global economic development, and the annual conference provides a platform of communication between companies, organizations and governments.
This year’s conference was centered on the theme “Asian Growth in Transformation”, and the Norwegian ambassador; Mr. Svein Sæther, addressed the audience in a speech where he emphasized the opportunities for trade cooperation between China and Norway.
In his speech, the ambassador recognized China’s economic and social advances in the past decades, and highlighted areas in which Norwegian companies have specific expertise and a strong presence in China.
The ambassador identified the maritime and shipping industries as strategic industries for bilateral trade cooperation between Norway and China. The maritime and shipping industry is our most important industry in terms of trade of goods and services with China. The total export to China from Norwegian maritime industry amounts to more than 1 billion RMB a year.
Mr. Sæther also mentioned the energy sector as an increasingly important industry for Sino-Norwegian trade and technological exchange, particularly in the sector of Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG).
During the event, the ambassador received an award for ”Friendly Nation of Economic Communication”. Similar awards were bestowed to the IMF Senior Resident Representative, Mr. Il Houng Lee, and the Economic Counsellor from the embassy of Portugal, Mr. Miguel Coelho.
The ambassador was also interviewed by Asia Fortune magazine for the December 2011 issue.