Stronger China-Denmark ties expected amid big deals

COPENHAGEN - Chinese and Danish companies signed deals worth more than $3 billion Friday as Chinese Vice-Premier Wang Qishan urged both sides to further enhance cooperation in the areas of trade, investment, finance, infrastructure, tourism and navigation.

Wang attended the signing ceremony of some 20 agreements on cooperation between Chinese and Danish companies. The value of the cooperative projects totalled $3.35 billion.

Speaking at the Chinese-Danish Conference on Business and Trade held before the signing ceremony, Wang said the companies of the two countries should not only jointly expand market in each country, but also explore the international market.

Danish Crown Prince Frederick and Deputy Prime Minister Margrethe Vestager also witnessed the signing ceremony and attended the conference.

Wang said Chinese and Danish companies should continuously turn the prospect of cooperation into reality.

Wang is among the entourage of Chinese President Hu Jintao who is paying a state visit to Denmark.

Wang said Hu's visit, which is the first one by the head of state of China in the past 62 years, is a milestone in bilateral relations. He said Hu's visit will greatly advance the development of the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries and bring about fresh opportunities for cooperation between their companies.

Wang noted that in the past decade, two-way trade has been growing at an annual rate of 22 percent. The trade volume rose to nearly ten billion U.S. dollars last year. He said the two sides have carried out fruitful cooperation in the areas of wind power, bio-chemicals, transport, logistics and processing of farm produces.

He said Chinese and Danish economies are at different stages of development and highly complementary to each other. As China accelerates the process of industrialization and urbanization, the growth of social wealth will lead to explosive growth in demand and purchasing power.

Wang said the two countries have their own specific advantages in terms of capital, technology, talent and market demand. In the current grim situation of the world economy, strengthening trade and economic cooperation between China and Denmark will help promote economic growth and employment in both countries.

Crown Prince Frederick said Chinese President Hu's visit to Denmark sent a clear signal to the business circles of the two countries to further strengthen cooperation. He expressed the readiness to further deepen cooperation with China so as to achieve common prosperity and development.

Vestage said both countries are faced with the same opportunities and challenges. He called for companies of the two countries to deepen cooperation.

More than 200 government officials and business persons from China and Denmark attended the conference.