Shared Commitment to Multilateralism and Free Trade After Munich Meeting

Kathmandu — Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi has expressed China’s hope that Norway will play a constructive role in promoting the stable development of relations between China and Europe. He made the remarks during a meeting with Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference. Wang Yi, who is also a member of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, emphasized China’s position during the talks.

Noting that China has always viewed its relationship with Norway from a strategic and long-term perspective, Wang Yi said China is ready to maintain close contact with Norway at all levels and deepen cooperation across various fields in order to sustain the healthy and stable momentum of bilateral relations.

Referring to this year’s Munich Security Conference, Wang Yi said that multilateralism had become a shared consensus. “Multilateralism does not mean acting arbitrarily, nor should multipolarity be limited to the dominance of a few major powers,” he stated. He stressed that all parties should abide by the purposes and principles of the United Nations Charter and safeguard the international system based on international law.

In this context, Wang Yi recalled that Chinese President Xi Jinping has proposed the concept of an equal and orderly multipolar world. “Equality means that all countries, regardless of size, should have the right to participate in global affairs, while orderliness means that all parties should jointly abide by international law,” he said.

Since both China and Norway support multilateralism and free trade, Wang Yi emphasized the need to further strengthen communication and coordination between the two countries.

For his part, Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide said that Wang Yi’s speech at the Munich Security Conference clearly presented China’s views on improving and reforming global governance, which closely align with Norway’s position.

He noted that Norway attaches great importance to its relationship with China and seeks to continuously strengthen dialogue and cooperation. He also stated that Norway is ready to work closely with China within multilateral mechanisms such as the World Trade Organization to jointly safeguard multilateralism and free trade.

The meeting is believed to have elevated China–Norway relations to new heights, with both countries demonstrating a united stance in support of multilateralism and free trade.