The meeting has been canceled due to the Nobel Peace Prize award. This is the first official sanction from China after the Nobel committee gave the Nobel Peace Prize to Chinese dissident Liu Xiaobo and after verbal warnings to Norway.
The minister was planning to have political talks in Beijing with the Chinese Deputy Minister for fisheries and aquaculture issues. The theme of the conversation would be the bilateral cooperation under the fisheries agreement between China and Norway from 2007, trade issues and resource management.
Financial Relations at Stake
In 2009, the value of Norwegian fish exports to China was 824 million Kroner. Also, China passed Japan as the most important market for Norwegian fish in Asia in 2010.
The Fisheries Minister had told to NTB that the Nobel Committee is independent of government and parliament and there is thus no basis for action against Norway before she leaves for China.
Read also China's Pressure on the Committee
