Kathmandu— Chinese President Xi Jinping congratulated King Haakon VIII of Norway on Wednesday for his accession to the throne. In a message, Xi highlighted the longstanding friendship between China and Norway, noting that despite geographical distance, bilateral relations have made significant progress over 72 years since diplomatic ties were established in 1949.

Historical Diplomatic Relations

Xi Jinping emphasized that Norway was among the first European countries to recognize the People's Republic of China and establish diplomatic relations with it. Over these seven decades, the Norwegian royal family has played a crucial role in supporting and promoting bilateral ties.

Future Cooperation Prospects

The Chinese president expressed his commitment to further developing China-Norway relations and working closely with King Haakon VIII to enhance friendly exchanges between the two countries. Xi stated that he is ready to write a new chapter in Sino-Norwegian cooperation, aiming for continued expansion of bilateral ties across various fields.

(With inputs from Xinhua)

Originally published on abcnews.com.np.