Relationship dossier
People's Republic of China
Faroe Islands
Relationship assessment
Trade cooperation alongside a telecommunications dispute, within the Faroe Islands’ devolved relationship with Denmark.
People's Republic of China toward Faroe Islands
+15China concluded a free-trade agreement with the Faroe Islands, supporting bilateral economic cooperation. Chinese officials also objected to the exclusion of Huawei from Faroese telecommunications infrastructure.
Faroe Islands toward People's Republic of China
+20The Faroe Islands concluded a free-trade agreement with China, an area in which they exercise devolved authority. Faroese telecommunications decisions also became a point of disagreement over Huawei’s role.
Overall relationship
+15The relationship is shaped by a concrete trade arrangement, alongside a dispute involving Huawei and telecommunications infrastructure. The Faroe Islands have devolved authority over some areas, including trade, while Denmark retains responsibility for much of foreign and security policy; this limits the scope of an independent bilateral relationship.
How to read these scores
Scores are rough judgments, not objective measurements or current verification. Directional scores describe government policy and conduct, not public opinion. The overall score is an independent estimate, never an average.
- −100
- Extreme sustained hostility
- −50
- Substantially adversarial
- 0
- Mixed or neutral, supported by knowledge
- +50
- Substantially cooperative
- +100
- Exceptionally close sustained partnership
“Not assessed” means there is no recorded score. Pair existence makes no claim about diplomatic recognition or established relations.
Relationship context
Overview
The Faroe Islands govern trade in areas of devolved authority, while Denmark retains responsibility for much of their foreign and security policy. China and the Faroe Islands concluded a free-trade agreement, providing a concrete basis for bilateral economic cooperation. Relations have also involved disagreement over Huawei's role in Faroese telecommunications. The breadth of cooperation beyond trade is unclear.
Areas of tension
- Disagreement over Huawei’s role in Faroese telecommunications infrastructure.
Key developments
China and the Faroe Islands concluded a free-trade agreement.
A dispute arose over Huawei’s role in Faroese telecommunications infrastructure.
Major uncertainties
- The scope and implementation of the China–Faroe Islands free-trade agreement are unclear.
- The extent of Faroese authority over bilateral engagement with China varies by policy area.
- The details and consequences of the disagreement over Huawei are unclear.