NBA China's Annual General Meeting: Board of Directors 2023

The Norwegian Business Association China held its Annual General Meeting on Wednesday 12th April, with participation from over 50 corporate members. The event started with a pre-meeting featuring an opening speech by Signe Brudeset, Norway's Ambassador to China. The pre-meeting was followed by speeches from several notable speakers, including Kristin Enstad, Director, Section for East Asia and Oceania of Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Håvard Raaen, Acting Director of Ministry of Trade, Industry and Fisheries, Rolf Peter Almklov, Commercial Counsellor of Royal Norwegian Embassy in Beijing/Country Director of Innovation Norway China and Christian Chramer, CEO of Norwegian Seafood Council.

During the pre-meeting, updates were provided on various topics relevant to the Sino-Norway business landscape. The progress of the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between Norway and China was discussed, the status of exports from Norway to China was also covered, identifying China as an important export destination for Norwegian companies. Opportunities for Norwegian businesses in China, including collaboration and innovation, were also explored.

The Sino-Norway China Business Collaboration was presented as a means to foster closer economic ties between the two countries. The plans for post-COVID-19 recovery were discussed, along with the potential for increased collaboration and innovation. The outlook for the Norwegian seafood industry in China was also presented, highlighting the strong growth potential for this sector in the Chinese market. Last but not least, enhanced collaboration amongst Team Norway members for joint marketing and sales activities in post-COVID era were also emphasized.

The pre-meeting provided a valuable platform for the attendees to gain insights on the latest developments and opportunities in the Sino-Norway business landscape, and to exchange ideas with other business leaders and stakeholders.

Following the pre-meeting, the AGM took place, during which Martin Wernli, Chair of NBA, presented the NBA Annual report, which included the status and deliverables of the past year, as well as the outlook for 2023 and the objectives for the coming year. The eleven candidates were elected as the new NBA Board of Directors 2023, including three board members in Beijing, seven in Shanghai, and one in South-China. Martin Wernli will serve one more term as Chair of NBA.