Kinas store handelsinitiativ – OBOR – og de nordiske lande

Participation is free of charge, but registration is required. Please use our online registration form no later than Wednesday 17 May 2017 at 12.00 noon. Sign up

Since the Chinese president Xi Jinping launched the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st century Maritime Silk Road (or One Belt One Road, OBOR, Belt & Road) initiative in late 2013, China has developed special relations with and invested billions of dollars in countries along the Belt & Road routes.

In stark contrast to the enthusiasm in their Southern and Eastern neighbours, there does not seem to exist much discussion at the national level in the Nordic countries about OBOR.

For instance, whether the government should make a national OBOR strategy, how to seek opportunities from OBOR, or how to deal with risks that could come with more involvement in OBOR.

The map of the OBOR, however, is dynamic and expanding. It is up to the policymakers, businesspeople, researchers and communities in both the Nordic countries and China to define the boundaries and contents of their engagement under the OBOR framework.

China will hold the first Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation in Beijing on 14 and 15 May. More than 1,200 delegates will attend the forum, including officials, scholars, entrepreneurs, representatives of financial institutions and media organizations from 110 countries, as well as representatives from more than 60 international organizations.

Nordic countries will also send representatives to some high level meetings.

In view of the timing and the importance of this topic, DIIS and the Chinese Embassy in Denmark have organised this international conference, bringing together researchers and practitioners in the business and policy circles from the Nordic countries and China to discuss the following questions:

• To which extent has China interacted with the Nordic countries under OBOR, both at political and business levels?
• How do Nordic countries perceive China’s OBOR strategy? What kind of opportunities, challenges or risks exist in deepened Sino-Nordic interaction under OBOR? Under what conditions can Nordic countries get more involved in OBOR without compromising their core values and interests?
• How does China view the role of the Nordic countries in relation to the OBOR strategy? What kind of strategy does China have for different European countries for their roles in OBOR?
• How would other countries perceive Nordic countries, if they deepen relations with China through OBOR? Examples include the United States, United Kingdom, Russia, the EU, etc.
• What kind of interests and perceptions exist between the Nordic countries and China regarding the Arctic shipping route?

Speakers

Mr. Kristian Fischer, Director, DIIS

H.E. Mr Biwei Liu, Chinese Ambassador to Denmark

H.E. Mr Dagfinn Høybråten, Secretary General of the Nordic Council of Ministers

Ms. Silvia Ding, Vice President and Head of Trade Management, Mærsk Line

Mr. Jason Yang Lan, CEO Huawei Denmark (TBC)

Mr. Hans Henrik Pontoppidan, Secretary Genearl, Danish-Chinese Business Forum

Dr. Nis Høyrup Christensen, Assistant Professor, Copenhagen Business School

Prof. Xinning Song, Professor, Renmin University and Chinese Director of the Confucius Institute, Vrije Universiteit Brussel

Prof. Roger Greatrex, Professor, Lund University, Sweden

Dr. Margrét Cela, Centre for Arctic Policy Studies, University of Iceland

Dr. Hans Jørgen Gåsemyr, Senior Researcher, Norwegian Institute of International Affairs (NUPI), Norway

Prof. Xing Li, Professor MSO, Aalborg University

Prof. Yiwei Wang, Renmin University, China

Moderator: Mr. Hongbo Hu, Deputy Head of the Chinese Embassy

Moderator: Ms. Yang Jiang, Senior Researcher, DIIS

Programme

9.30-10.30

Opening and keynote speeches

Kristian Fischer

Biwei Liu

Dagfinn Høybråten

10.30-10.45

Coffee and tea break

10.45-12.15

Panel I: Business opportunities and economic outlook

Silvia Ding

Jason Yang Lan

Hans Henrik Pontoppidan

Nis Høyrup Christensen

Xinning Song

Moderator: Yang Jiang

12.15-13.15

Sandwich lunch for all participants

13.15-15.15

Panel II: Political economy and international relations

Roger Greatrex

Margrét Cela

Hans Jørgen Gåsemyr

Xing Li

Yiwei Wang

Moderator: Hongbo Hu

15.15-15.30

Closing remarks

Practical information

The seminar is jointly organised by DIIS and the Chinese Embassy in Denmark. The language will be in English.

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