Jonas Har Støre sees China as the biggest threat to the country

Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre has announced a tougher stance on China, promising closer cooperation with business on security risks associated with Beijing.

This is reported by Bloomberg.

In his statement to lawmakers on security policy, the prime minister said that China is the country "with the greatest potential" for activities aimed at "undermining our interests and values."

Although he emphasized the threats from neighboring Russia following its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the prime minister said that Norwegians should pay more attention to the risks in cooperation with China.

"In the future, risk mitigation should be part of our approach to China and Chinese actors," Støre said.

The prime minister added that Oslo wants to cooperate with Beijing on trade, climate, and the green deal, but "this is not appropriate in sensitive areas."

"We are now intensifying the dialogue with the business world, the knowledge sector, and representatives of other spheres of society about the risks associated with cooperation with China and other countries," Støre said.

The Norwegian government has so far maintained a more cautious tone toward China than many of its European counterparts, even though the country's intelligence services have repeatedly warned of the risks posed by China, particularly in the Arctic.

Author - Olena Madiak, 13/06/2024