Relationship dossier
People's Republic of China
Norway
Relationship assessment
Renewed engagement coexists with political and security-related friction
People's Republic of China toward Norway
-10After the 2010 Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to Chinese dissident Liu Xiaobo, China curtailed high-level political contact with Norway. In 2016, the two governments issued a joint statement and restored normal diplomatic relations.
Norway toward People's Republic of China
0Norway joined China in the 2016 statement that restored normal diplomatic relations, including language on respecting China's core interests. Norway has also maintained independent positions on human rights and security concerns involving China.
Overall relationship
0The relationship has a durable diplomatic and economic basis, but the 2010–2016 rupture demonstrated that political disagreements can sharply restrict engagement. Subsequent normalization supports renewed cooperation, while differences over human rights and security remain sources of friction.
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
China and Norway maintain a relationship combining renewed diplomatic engagement and economic cooperation with recurring political friction. China curtailed high-level contact after the 2010 Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to Liu Xiaobo, then restored normal relations following a 2016 joint statement. Norway has pursued engagement while retaining independent positions on human rights and security issues.
Areas of tension
- The diplomatic dispute following the 2010 Nobel Peace Prize awarded to Liu Xiaobo
- Differences over human rights issues involving China
- Norwegian security concerns related to Chinese telecommunications suppliers
Key developments
China curtailed high-level political contact with Norway after the Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to Liu Xiaobo.
China and Norway issued a joint statement and restored normal diplomatic relations.
Major uncertainties
- The scope and implementation of post-2016 bilateral cooperation are unclear.
- The extent of current economic and diplomatic engagement is uncertain.