King Harald and Queen Sonja of Norway have accepted an invitation from the Chinese President, Xi Jinping, to visit China from 11-19 October 2018.
The royal couple will launche the state visit to Dunhuang in Gansu Province, West China. Here the program will include China’s commitment to renewable energy, visits to kindergartens and the opening of a Norwegian-Chinese seminar on education for sustainability. Conservation of cultural heritage will be the theme of visits to the Mogao Caves.
The royal couple continues to Beijing for the official marking of the state visit, where they will have conversation with President Xi Jinping and sign bilateral agreements. The Beijing program will further include book launching of Edvard Munch’s combined works in Chinese, highlight of winter sports cooperation, opening of the Norwegian-Chinese social science symposium and a friendship dinner with Norwegian and Chinese cultural events.
The visit ends in Shanghai, where sustainable seas will be an overall theme for meetings with industry, academia and other organizations. In addition, there will be a meeting with local authorities and the Norwegian colony. The royal couple will eventually visit United World College in Changshu, in Jiangsu province northwest of Shanghai.
The royal couple is accompanied by Foreign Minister Ine Eriksen Søreide and Minister of Industry Torbjørn Røe Isaksen, as well as State Secretaries from the Ministry of Petroleum and Energy, the Ministry of Climate and Environment, the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Health and Care.
