Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store addresses a reception to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Norway in Beijing, capital of China, Sept. 9, 2024. (Xinhua/Pang Xinglei)

"We welcome cooperation and trade with China in a broad range of areas ... We want to cooperate on areas where we have overlapping interests with China, such as addressing climate change and the green industrial transition." 

It is vital that Norway and China engage in political dialogue on the key issues of the time, including the green transition, and international peace and security, Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store has said.

"As one of the world's largest economies, China plays a crucial role in global affairs," Store told Xinhua in a written interview before his official visit to China from Monday to Wednesday.

"We welcome cooperation and trade with China in a broad range of areas ... We want to cooperate on areas where we have overlapping interests with China, such as addressing climate change and the green industrial transition," said the prime minister.

Norway must cooperate and have political contact with China in areas that are important to Norwegian interests, he added.

This marks Store's first visit to China after assuming office, with this year coinciding with the 70th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

Bilateral trade has grown continuously over the past 70 years, said the Norwegian prime minister, adding that China is Norway's third-largest trading partner, after the European Union and the United States.

"Norway imports a lot from China, and the country (China) is also an important market for several Norwegian industries and companies," which creates a substantial number of jobs for Norway, Store said.