'China, Norway Need To Promote Trade Liberalisation'

China and Norway need to work together to promote trade liberalisation and achieve more results in cooperation between the two countries, Foreign Minister Qin Gang said on Thursday.

In a meeting with representatives of the Norwegian business community in Oslo, Qin talked about China's opening up and said both China and Norway are supporters and participants in economic globalisation, and both oppose protectionism.

Qin, who is in Europe for a three-nation trip, also highlighted the need for Sino-Norwegian cooperation in the areas of green and low-carbon spaces, according to a statement.

Separately, Qin is expected to visit Australia in July as diplomatic relations between the two trading partners stabilise.

The visit, which has not been officially announced, would take place in July, citing a source "close to the Chinese government" and an Australian academic, The South China Morning Post reported on Friday.

The academic, director of the Australia-China Relations Institute at the University of Technology Sydney, James Laurenceson, said he was aware of a July visit but told Reuters he could not confirm a date.

Qin is meeting the Australian Trade Minister Don Farrell in Beijing on Friday, as Canberra pushes for Beijing to remove all trade barriers on its exports, which began to ease this year. (Reuters)