Danish ambassador: Queen's visit to deepen Sino-Danish ties

BEIJING - The upcoming state visit to China by Danish Queen Margrethe II will cement political trust and promote economic cooperation and cultural exchanges between the two countries, said Danish Ambassador to China Friis Arne Petersen on Thursday.

The Queen will pay a visit to China from April 24 to 28 at the invitation of Chinese President Xi Jinping.

"The friendship and diplomatic ties between Denmark and China have deep historical roots," Petersen told a press briefing at the Danish Embassy in Beijing.

The Danish Minister for Foreign Affairs, the Minister for Trade and Development Cooperation, the Minister for Food, Agriculture and Fisheries and the Minister for Higher Education and Science, together with five vice-ministers and representatives from more than 110 Danish companies will accompany the Queen during the tour that will take them to Beijing, Nanjing, Suzhou, Jiaxing and Shanghai, according to the ambassador.

The state visit by the Queen will focus on how to support China in its pursuit of sustainable development, the ambassador said.

The visit comes at an "extremely important period" in Chinese development, shortly after key decisions were made in the Third Plenary Session of the 18th Communist Party of China Central Committee in November 2013 and the annual parliamentary session in March this year, Petersen said.

"The decisions from these events will form the basis for key parts of the state visit, including a large conference on sustainable economic growth," he said.

"The restructuring of the Chinese economy opens up for many cooperation opportunities between Denmark and China," the ambassador said.

China and Denmark have witnessed fast development in economic cooperation since 2008, when the two countries established a comprehensive strategic partnership.

China became the second-largest trade partner of Denmark outside the European Union in 2008. The total trade volume between Denmark and China was more than 107 billion Danish krone (19.85 billion U.S. dollars) in 2013.

More than 15 Danish ministers have visited China since June 2013, according to the ambassador, who said the visits reflect the close Sino-Danish relationship, not only politically but also economically.

"The upcoming state visit will push the bilateral agenda to a new high," he added.

The Danish business circle in China is cheerful about the upcoming visit.

"The state visit is a good opportunity for Danish companies to present themselves as highly reliable investment partners for Chinese companies seeking to enter the European market," said Jacob Pedersen, president of the Danish Chamber of Commerce in China.

"They will also show how Danish companies have helped Denmark solve modern problems with modern solutions with regard to green technology, food safety and modern healthcare," he added.