[China and Denmark]
In 2013, the comprehensive strategic partnership between the People's Republic of China and the Kingdom of Denmark continued to deepen.
The two countries enjoyed frequent exchanges at various levels. In March, Danish Queen Margrethe II sent an oral message of congratulations to President Xi Jinping on his election and Danish Minister of Foreign Affairs Willy S?vndal sent messages of congratulations to State Councilor Yang Jiechi and Minister of Foreign Affairs Wang Yi respectively on their assumption of office. In June, CPPCC Chairman Yu Zhengsheng, paid an official goodwill visit to Denmark, during which he held talks with Speaker of the Danish Parliament Mogens Lykketoft and met with Danish Prime Minister Helle Thorning-Schimidt, Crown Prince Frederik and Foreign Minister S?vndal separately. This visit served as a guidance for the development of China-Denmark relations and comprehensively advanced the bilateral practical cooperation in all fields. In January, Prince Henrik, husband of the Queen, and Crown Prince Frederik paid unofficial visits separately to China. In 2013, ten provincial- and ministerial-level officials of China visited Denmark and ten cabinet ministers and a number of vice ministerial-level officials of Denmark and Greenland, Denmark's autonomous constituent country, visited China.
In November, the newly-appointed Chinese Ambassador to Denmark Liu Biwei presented his credentials to Danish Queen Margrethe II.
Business ties continued to deepen. China is Denmark's biggest trading partner in Asia and Denmark worked actively to expand its trade with China. In 2013, the two countries made new achievements in their cooperation in agriculture, environmental protection, science, education, medical care and other areas. They signed a number of cooperation agreements, including the Agreement on Social Security Between the Government of the People's Republic of China and the Government of the Kingdom of Denmark, the Follow-up Action Agreement to the Memorandum of Understanding Between the Ministry of Agriculture of the People's Republic of China and the Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Fisheries of the Kingdom of Denmark on Deepening Cooperation in Agriculture, the Memorandum of Understanding Between the Ministry of Civil Affairs of the People's Republic of China and the Ministry of Social Affairs, Children and Integration of the Kingdom of Denmark on Cooperation and Knowledge Exchange in the Fields of Eldercare, Long Term Care and Rehabilitation, and the Memorandum of Understanding Between the National Health and Family Planning Commission of the People's Republic of China and the Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Fisheries of the Kingdom of Denmark on Cooperation in the Field of Food Safety. A delegation of the National Energy Administration attended the third Global Green Growth Forum in Denmark.
Cultural and people-to-people exchanges made fresh headway. In February, the Spring Festival gala "Cultures of China, Festivals of Spring" was held in Denmark, and a Spring Festival temple fair was staged by overseas Chinese living in Denmark at the City Hall of Copenhagen for the first time and was well received by local people. In April, the Fudan-Europe China Research Center was opened in Denmark, offering a new platform for China-Denmark and China-Europe academic exchanges. In December, the two countries signed the Agreement Between the Government of the People's Republic of China and the Government of the Kingdom of Denmark on the Reciprocal Establishments of Cultural Centers.
By the end of 2013, the two countries had developed ten pairs of sister provinces/cities.
Editor:Yaling
