As the country of honor for the 2026 China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS), due to open on Sept 9 to 13, Norway is poised to deepen bilateral service trade and innovation cooperation with China, a senior Norwegian official said on Thursday.

Henning Kristoffersen, commercial counselor of the Norwegian Embassy in China and head of Innovation Norway (China), said the success of Norwegian companies in China coincides with the latter's rapid technological development.

Noting that China is Norway's most important Asian trading partner, with two consecutive years of growing bilateral trade, Kristoffersen highlighted cooperation potential in the maritime economy, seafood, new energy, healthcare, and quality assurance.

DNV, a Norwegian quality assurance giant, has operated in China since 1888, expanding its services from maritime certification to multi-industry quality and business assurance.

Kristoffersen credited platforms like CIFTIS for showcasing China's commitment to opening-up, especially in an environment of global protectionism and economic headwinds.

Norway expects continued Chinese market opening to bolster global service trade recovery, while the country's honorary role at CIFTIS 2026 will attract more Norwegian firms to explore the Chinese market, he noted.