The ‘Fokus 2020’ report from the Norwegian Foreign Intelligence Service lays a heavy focus on China and Chinese relations involving Norway as a potential threat to Norway – especially in the field of digital infrastructure and the Chinese interest in the Arctic, reports the newssite High North News.
China is internationally known for their major development in technology and has laid a solid foundation to gather ‘vast amounts of data’; 5G network control, fiber cables and smart city systems are mentioned as a few examples in the report. Written between the lines are distrust of China’s intentions.
Intentions that are not true, according to Yi Xianliang, China’s Ambassador in Norway.
“This report is completely void of facts. This is prejudice. Our statements and our whitepapers about the Arctic are rather clear. We have three main areas for our Arctic strategy; scientific research; increased cooperation between people, including culture; and investing in companies”, Xianliang says to High North News.
The Chinese ambassador proposed a meeting with the Norwegian Foreign Intelligence Service’s Chief Morten Haga Lunda over a cup of tea ‘to better understand each other’.
“This is politics. They refer to my country, so I think that being the Ambassador, I should speak with him. If he is up for it, then I am open to meet.”
The ambassador of China stresses to High North News that this won’t impact or damage the otherwise good relationship between China and Norway.
“Our relations are stable. This is just a report from a state agency. And if I have the opportunity to meet with Lunde, I believe it would help us understand and trust each other more”, says the Ambassador.
China is mentioned 177 times in the 128 pages’ long report, which contains the intelligence chief’s assessments of the current security threats Norway is facing. By comparison, Russia is mentioned 225 times in the same report.
Source: High North News
