On May 10, two letters were sent from the official Norway to China, Dagbladet’s review shows.
The letters were signed by Minister of Agriculture and Food Sandra Borch (Sp) and had a hitherto unknown message:
Norway is applying to export pork, milk and dairy products to the Chinese market.
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Dagbladet has gained access to the e-mail that came with the two closed letters. There, Sandra Borch’s ministry requests that the embassy forward the application to the Chinese customs authorities (GACC).
«We understand that the situation in Beijing is difficult during the day, but hope the embassy can find a possible way to convey the letters to the GACC», writes the ministry in the email.
The embassy then promises the Ministry of Agriculture to help.
Dagbladet has seen the letters and e-mails that came with it
WILL TAKE ADVANTAGE OF JONAS CONTACT: Minister of Agriculture Sandra Borch (Sp). Photo: Lars Eivind Bones / Dagbladet
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Utilizes Støre conversation
The e-mails Dagbladet can now tell about show that the government is in the process of a new attempt at an export adventure in China.
Today, Norway is mostly only allowed to export fish and seafood to the Chinese. Cooperation with China has been full of turbulence since Liu Xiaobo received the Nobel Peace Prize in 2010.
But this time the government has an ace up its sleeve that they intend to exploit, it appears in the emails: Jonas Gahr Støre’s recent telephone conversation with Chinese Prime Minister Li Keqiang.
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Hoping for momentum
The two prime ministers spoke at the end of April about the Ukraine war and climate cooperation.
Sandra Borch’s subordinate in the ministry is clear that this must be exploited:
«Prime Minister Støre’s recent conversation with his colleague Li Keqiang is a positive starting point for the further process for our export applications, we therefore hope it is possible to use momentum in the matter.», It says in the e-mail.
At the other end, the Norwegian embassy in Beijing agrees that the timing is now:
«The embassy agrees that the conversation between the two prime ministers provides momentum that we try to exploit»Writes the embassy back, on 11 May.
ABROAD: Jonas Gahr Støre met Boris Johnson in London earlier this spring. Photo: Bjørn Langsem / Dagbladet
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Peace Prize freezer box
That the Norwegian business community is trying to start exporting pigs, milk and dairy products to China is mentioned on Food supervisionts websites. But there has been little discussion.
The government was also in dialogue three years ago with China on exports of both pigs, milk and dairy products. But little has happened, it appears in the letters.
The requirements of the Chinese to allow goods into the country have become stricter. The pandemic created great fear of import infection among the Chinese strict, and the rules became stricter. It did not help the Norwegian business community, which had already struggled before with a difficult relationship with the Chinese.
When the Chinese dissident Liu Xiaobo received the Peace Prize in 2010, the Chinese sent Norway into the freezer for six years and broke off contact until 2016.
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A 15 year long dream
Fish exports then increased year on year. But when the pandemic came as a new blow, fish exports fell by a quarter, according to SSB. Since last year, Norwegian fish exports have risen again, by 28 percent. But you are still not back in the peak year in 2019.
All the while, various governments have dreamed of repairing the scrap metal and reaching a free trade agreement with the Chinese.
Erna Solberg’s then minister Iselin Nybø (V) claimed they were very close in 2020. It was predicted that such an agreement could increase trade by between 50 and 170 percent over ten years.
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Disagreements
The dream of bringing more goods to the Chinese market lives on in the new government as well, and now Sandra Borch (Sp) is up and running.
This despite the fact that the current Minister of Local Government Sigbjørn Gjelsvik (Sp) demanded a full stop in negotiations with China before he and the Center Party entered government.
He pointed out that China is accused of both human rights violations against the Uighurs and surveillance of Norwegian interests.
In the letters, Borch assures that she looks forward to further cooperation with China.
The embassy in Beijing promises in an email on May 11 that they will definitely be able to find a way to convey Sandra Borch’s application to the Chinese authorities.
WARNING: Sigbjørn Gjelsvik (Sp), who is now Minister of Local Government and District Affairs, demanded a full China stop before the parliamentary elections. Photo: Stian Lysberg Solum / NTB
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Two applications
Sandra Borch comments on the case in an e-mail to Dagbladet.
– There is great interest among several Norwegian players in exporting milk and dairy products and pork products to the Chinese market. The Ministry of Agriculture and Food has two applications for export for processing by the Chinese authorities; one for dairy and dairy products, which was submitted in March 2019 and one for pork, which was submitted in May 2018. Both applications are processed by the General Administration of Customs of the People’s Republic of China, GACC, writes the Minister of Agriculture.
She adds that the ministry has regular contact with the Norwegian embassy in Beijing for updates on the processing of the Norwegian application for an export permit for pork.
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