Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,

It is indeed a pleasure to welcome you all to this dinner. After a most rewarding visit to Beijing, I am pleased to be here in the bustling city of Shanghai, a city that has played such an important role both in the economic development of China and in the positive development of relations between our two nations.

I would like this evening to be a celebration of the healthy and ever growing relations between our two countries. And – more important – let us use this evening to look ahead and explore new opportunities.

This visit to China has been very successful in this respect. This afternoon I had the pleasure to join many of you at the Sino - Norwegian business seminar focusing on how ICT can promote safer and more efficient shipping operations. The seminar, with its future-oriented approach, its many interesting presentations and fruitful discussions, was for me yet another confirmation that the maritime cooperation between our nations is as stronger than ever.

Yesterday in Beijing I attended another very interesting seminar entitled "China and Norway – Partnership in a Global Perspective", focusing on common challenges related to the globalisation of the world economy and how this fact opens up new opportunities in our bilateral relations.

The current good relationship between China and Norway is in many ways based on a special and long-time relationship between Shanghai and Norway. The many aspects of this relationship has recently been presented in the book "Norwegians in Shanghai through 150 years".

This book have also been translated into Chinese and it offers fascinating stories about the development of Shanghai as a trade centre in Asia and the history of Norwegian presence in the city through 150 years.

Like the many Norwegians who have visited China and Shanghai throughout the years, I have found it impossible to leave this country without a strong and lasting impression of a great and beautiful nation.

On behalf of my delegation I would therefore like to express our gratitude to our chinese friends for the generous hospitality you have bestowed upon us. I hope that this evening will give us all an opportunity to explore new opportunities. Let us raise our glasses and toast to the flourishing relations between China and Norway - and to the health and prosperity of the Chinese people.

Skål (KAM BEI).