Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen is set to visit China from Saturday 17 May for high-level talks, marking the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Denmark and China.
According to a statement from Denmark’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Rasmussen will meet with China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Trade Minister Wang Wentao during the three-day visit.
The trip follows closely after a controversial visit to Copenhagen by former Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen, which drew criticism from Beijing. During her stay, Tsai addressed the Copenhagen Democracy Summit — an event organised by the Alliance of Democracies led by former NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen — where she accused China of escalating military pressure and cyber attacks against Taiwan.
The Chinese embassy in Denmark condemned Tsai’s visit and criticised Danish authorities for hosting her, stating that it disregarded the “international consensus on the one-China principle.”
“The Taiwan question is purely China’s internal affairs that allow no interference by any foreign government, organization or individual,” the embassy said in an emailed statement.
In response, Foreign Minister Rasmussen reaffirmed Denmark’s official stance.
“Our one-China policy remains firm, while it is clear that we do not see everything the same way, and on some points China poses a challenge,” he said.
Rasmussen has advocated for a pragmatic policy toward China, both in his current role and during his tenure as prime minister. Relations between the two countries have seen fluctuations in recent decades, notably hitting a low point after the Dalai Lama visited Copenhagen in 2009. Ties later improved when Denmark received two giant pandas from China as part of Beijing’s “panda diplomacy.”
Denmark, like most countries, does not maintain official diplomatic ties with Taiwan but supports informal relations with the democratically governed island.
