Norwegian officials have recently stated they need more time to discuss a free-trade agreement (FTA) with China after eighteen years of negotiations.
According to the South China Morning Post, Norway’s Ministry of Trade spokeswoman Hilsen Camilla Pettersen said in a statement on Tuesday,18 October 2022 that:
“Whilst good progress has been made in the negotiations during the past two years, it is still too early to say anything about the timeline for the possible conclusion of the FTA.”
Surely, many countries around the world view China as a potential economic opportunity, however, Alexander Vuving, a professor at the Daniel K. Inouye Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies in Hawaii shared his perspective that “the major headwind facing China is the trust issue.”
After Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, China has increased imports from Russia despite Western sanctions against Moscow, so the matter of trust could be a possible factor for Norway or other European countries to look into before making the next move.
