China, Norway urge 'immediate' Gaza ceasefire, stronger backing for Palestinian Authority

The top diplomats of China and Norway have called for all-round efforts to prevent regional spillovers of the conflict around Gaza, while pledging stronger support for the Palestinian Authority (PA).

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and his Norwegian counterpart Espen Barth Eide exchanged "in-depth views" on the situation in the Middle East during talks in Beijing on Monday, a Chinese foreign ministry statement said.

They "agreed on the need for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza" and a "substantial increase in humanitarian assistance".

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"All parties need to work together to prevent the conflict from spilling over and [we] call for the immediate release of all detained persons," the statement added.

Both Norway and China support Palestine as a sovereign state and have been vocal about the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip, where the conflict between Israel and Palestinian militant group Hamas is about to enter a fourth month.

There is also mounting international concern about the conflict spilling over into the wider region, as countries and militia groups target each other over the prolonged Israeli response to a deadly Hamas raid across the Gaza border.

"Both sides believe that it is necessary to strengthen support for the Palestinian National Authority and to start a political process leading to a 'two-state solution' so that both the Israeli and Palestinian people can enjoy a peaceful and secure life," the Chinese statement said, referring to the concept of an independent state of Palestine and its peaceful coexistence with Israel.

China has long maintained diplomatic ties with the Palestinian Authority, the internationally recognised governing body that runs part of the Israeli-occupied West Bank. It was set up in the 1990s with a goal to establish an independent state of Palestine. Norway opened a representative office to the authority in the West Bank in 1999.

Norway is also a top donor to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA). It has criticised other donors including the United States over cuts to funding after Israel alleged that some UNRWA staff had joined Hamas in their October 7 attacks on its border towns.

Eide has also urged countries not to send weapons to Israel or risk being seen as "effective partners in the genocide in the Gaza Strip".

Eide is the most senior Norwegian official to visit China since 2018. This year also marks the 70th anniversary of diplomatic ties between the two countries.

During talks with Wang, he vowed to deepen cooperation with China in green transition, climate change, and people-to-people exchanges.

He also raised some points of tension, including on human rights, which he said were "an important part" of bilateral relations, according to a readout from his ministry.

Human rights, scrutiny of China's ties with Russia after the invasion of Ukraine, and national security concerns continue to strain Beijing's relations with many European countries.

In 2021, Norway accused China of carrying out multiple cyberattacks on government institutions. The previous year, Norwegian foreign intelligence services labelled China as one of the biggest "threats" to the country.

"Norway will continue our clear and predictable China policy, based on our broad range of interests, including national security," Eide was quoted as saying in the Norwegian statement.

Wang, in the Chinese statement, called on both countries to "accommodate each other's core interests and major concerns", and strengthen cooperation while upholding openness and inclusiveness.

The Chinese and Norwegian delegations meet in Beijing on Monday. Photo: Xinhua via AP alt=The Chinese and Norwegian delegations meet in Beijing on Monday. Photo: Xinhua via AP>

"[China and Norway] should both be forces of stability, peace, and prosperity in the international community," Wang was quoted as saying. "They should insist on communication, promote cooperation pragmatically, and handle differences in a prudent manner."

China is one of Norway's top trade partners, and has become the eighth-biggest market for Norwegian seafood following Beijing's ban on Japanese imports over Tokyo's decision to release nuclear waste water into the sea.

However, a China-Norway free trade agreement (FTA) has yet to come about despite two decades of negotiations.

Both sides had agreed to "continue the work" on the FTA, Eide told Norwegian channel TV 2 after his meeting with Wang.

On Monday, Eide also met Liu Juanchao, head of international liaison for China's ruling Communist Party. Also on the cards was a meeting with Vice-Premier Ding Xuexiang and a visit to Shanghai to meet the Norwegian business community there.

This article originally appeared in the South China Morning Post (SCMP), the most authoritative voice reporting on China and Asia for more than a century. For more SCMP stories, please explore the SCMP app or visit the SCMP's Facebook and Twitter pages. Copyright © 2024 South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved.

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