– The government is far too naive, says SP leader Trygve Slagsvold Vedum.
China’s role in the world increasingly resembles a superpower. Many are skeptical of what the world will be like if China gains more and more power. Both Norway and other countries have been on the receiving end when the large country in the east has used boycotts and other instruments as punishment.
In the period 2014-2020, Norway had a deficit on the trade balance with China of close to NOK 300 billion. In the same period, Norway paid NOK 581.6 million in aid to the country.
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Center Party leader Trygve Slagsvold Vedum believes the government has been too naive in meeting with China, and that there must be a new line in the time ahead.
– Of course I have respect for China. But we see that they have very offensive interests in Norway, with infrastructure and companies. PST has also warned against this in their latest threat assessment, says Vedum.
What we can start with is closing the money tap from the development assistance budget, he believes.
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Great power
– Of course we will cooperate with China, but it is an economic superpower. That Norway will then pay aid to this country while they become more and more powerful, it is not connected, he says to Nettavisen.
Over the past year, countries like Australia have felt the wrath of big brother in the neighborhood. After the country called for a thorough and independent investigation of what happened around the coronavirus, it became too much for the Chinese.
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Immediately, a clear message came from the Chinese authorities that Australian wine should be boycotted and holiday trips to Australia should be stopped. Australia’s largest trading partner is China, and the island nation has a huge wine industry and tourism accounts for large parts of their economy.
Here in Norway, the salmon industry especially noticed this when China decided to stop all purchases of Norwegian salmon. Norway’s second largest export industry.
Aid to China was largely allocated to environmental and energy projects. The largest recipients are the public sector, such as the Chinese Ministry of Trade and Industry. According to reports from NORAD, which administers Norwegian development assistance, the money has largely gone to innovation and advice to get China to pursue a more sustainable policy.
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Chinese suppliers in Norway
In recent years, there have also been several projects where Chinese suppliers have won public tenders, such as the construction of bridges. There has also been controversy over Huawei’s desire to expand the 5G network in Norway.
The SP leader has little understanding that Norway will give large public contracts to Chinese companies.
– I think the government has been too passive in helping Norwegian contractors and Norwegian companies win Norwegian tenders. Large public projects should go to Norwegian suppliers. We are bound up to some extent through the EEA agreement, but not when it comes to China, he says.
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– You criticize aid to China, but when you were in government from 2005-2013, NOK 1.1 billion in aid was paid to China?
– Norway has given too much over time, and I think there must be an end to us treating China as a developing country in development aid issues. China has become larger and more powerful in recent years. We must have a critical debate about how the development assistance money is used. It should be turned more to countries that are in real need, and international refugee work, says Vedum.
– Are you worried about China’s role in the near future?
– We have experienced how powerful China can be through the unilateral boycott against us in its time. Norway has everything to gain from good relations with China, but we will not stand with a hat in hand. We must have national control and listen to our security authorities, he says.
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