Chinese President Xi Jinping extended congratulations to King Haakon VIII on his recent accession to the Norwegian throne in a message sent Wednesday. Xi highlighted the longstanding friendship between China and Norway despite the geographical distance separating the two nations.

Acknowledging Norway’s early recognition of the People’s Republic of China and its establishment of diplomatic relations, Xi noted the progress made over the past 72 years since formal ties were initiated. He credited the active involvement and support of the Norwegian royal family for the significant development and expansion of bilateral cooperation in various sectors.

The Chinese president emphasized that these growing ties have yielded concrete benefits for the peoples of both countries. Xi also expressed his personal commitment to fostering the further development of China-Norway relations and expressed readiness to collaborate with King Haakon VIII in advancing friendly exchanges between the two nations.