From China with Love | Outgoing Iceland envoy to Beijing recalls fond times

A touching reflection from Icelandic ambassador to China on the past and future relations between Iceland and China.

For five years, Iceland’s ambassador to China Thórir Ibsen and his family have lived, explored and built bridges right in China.

As he leaves, Ibsen writes to share his personal experience of witnessing Iceland-China relations grow from strength to strength. This article celebrates years of shared achievements in business, green innovation and cultural bonding, and carries gentle, confident expectations for deeper friendship and collaboration in the next chapter.

Here is Ambassador Thórir Ibsen’s own story

My wife and I arrived in China in August 2021.

This was a challenging time.

We were all struggling with the Covid pandemic.

But during the following five years we were fortunate to engage in number of important milestones in the relations between Iceland and China. Events that celebrated the successful and friendly relations of Iceland and China for more than half a century.

The first of these was the celebration of the 50th anniversary of our diplomatic relations during which our leaders reconfirmed their shared commitment to maintaining good bilateral relations and international cooperation in areas of common interest.

Priorities should continue to be trade, tourism, people-to-people exchange, climate mitigation and environmental cooperation, especially geothermal energy and green transition, and cooperation on gender equality.

These commitments were followed by a range of initiatives, including the Icelandic Forum at the Taiyuan Energy and Low Carbon Development Forum, and with a large Icelandic delegation to the World Geothermal Congress hosted by China.

We also celebrated the 10th anniversary of our Free Trade Agreement. Iceland was the first European country to recognize China as a market economy. The free trade agreement has more than doubled our trade to the mutual benefit of both nations.

Today, China is the largest export market of Iceland in Asia and our second largest trade partner, after the European Union. Simultaneously, our people-to-people relations continue to grow to the point that Chinese tourists account for 6 percent of all foreign tourists coming to Iceland.

Another significant milestone was the 30th anniversary of the Embassy of Iceland in China, which coincided with the 30th anniversary of the UN´s Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing.

This occasion allowed us to highlight the importance of gender equality with various events throughout the year, including successful cooperation with the All-China Women’s Federation.

The pinnacle of the year was the official visit of the President of Iceland, Halla Tómasdóttir on the invitation of President Xi Jinping to celebrate Beijing+30 Global Leaders’ Meeting on Women, which commemorated the 30th anniversary of the UN’s landmark 1995 conference.

On the occasion of the meeting of the presidents, a joint statement was issued to further strengthen our cooperation on geothermal energy and green transition.

It is indeed befitting to follow-up the joint statement as we celebrate the 55th anniversary of our diplomatic relations with an Icelandic Day at the 4th China-Europe Energy Technology Innovation Cooperation Forum in Chengdu.

My wife and I have enjoyed five fantastic years in China, representing our country, promoting its interests and fostering the bilateral relations between Iceland and China.

We have had the fortune of traveling widely and discovered the diversity of this great country, its rich history and the hospitality of the Chinese people.

And we are humbled by the popularity of Iceland in China. I understand that more than 10 million Chinese people identify with Iceland on WeChat.

We have greatly enjoyed China’s rich cultural life, and I believe there remains considerable potential for further cultural exchanges. Indeed, our people-to-people ties have already produced remarkable examples of shared heritage, including the Icelandic-Chinese singer and songwriter Laufey, who is now one of the most acclaimed contemporary artists of her generation.

Who is Laufey? The genre-defying singer-songwriter bringing classical and jazz to … Classic FM

These years have also reinforced my conviction that the relationship between Iceland and China is important not only for our two countries, but also for addressing global challenges.

Chinese professionals have since 1979 been trained in the use of geothermal energy in Iceland, building expertise, lasting networks of cooperation and industrial joint ventures in China.

Looking ahead, I hope we will continue to deepen our scientific partnerships, particularly in the field of green technologies, drawing on our complementary strengths for the mutual benefit of both our nations and as a contribution to global sustainable development.

Our very cooperation in the area of geothermal energy and the green transitions demonstrates that no matter the size of countries, small and large countries can cooperate peacefully for the global common good.

The people-to-people relations between Iceland and China have grown steadily stronger over recent decades.

More Chinese visitors are traveling to Iceland, while growing numbers of Icelanders are discovering China, particularly following the introduction of China’s visa-free entry policy.

I am confident that these relations will grow even further with direct flights between China and Iceland.

Further tourism will also stimulate more trade and education exchange that will foster further mutual understanding and friendship between the people of Iceland and China.

Ultimately, it is these human connections – built through cooperation and friendship – that will continue to provide the strongest foundation for the next chapter in the relations between Iceland and China.