Norway recognizes Palestine's statehood as Israel rejects two-state solution: PM

Norway believes it is essential now to recognize Palestine's statehood, particularly due to the current Israeli government's rejection of a two-state solution, said Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store during his official visit to China from Monday to Wednesday.

After meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, Premier Li Qiang, and top legislator Zhao Leji in Beijing, Store took a high-speed train to Shanghai on Tuesday.

Speaking with China Media Group (CMG) on the train, Store stressed that while Norway has supported Israel since its creation, there should have been a path for a Palestinian state.

"Since the creation of the State of Israel, which Norway is supported very actively and we still do, there should have been also a path for the Palestinians to have their state. This has not happened. And for the last thirty years we have worked actively in Norway to support a peace process that could lead to an agreement between Israel and Palestinians on creation of peace and also a Palestinian state. The large majority of states have recognized the Palestinian state, but Norway was among the countries who said we would like to get there, but as part of a peace deal. Then we changed our perspective because we now had a government in Israel that actively is not only not promoting negotiations for a two-state solution, but saying that that is excluded, they do not want to work for that. And that is the time where I believe we have to say we recognize a Palestinian state," said the prime minister.

Norway, Ireland and Spain announced in May this year that they would officially recognize Palestine as a state. The three announced in rapid succession.

Store emphasized that Palestinians must be granted rights and obligations as a state to prevent violence. He condemned attacks on civilians and stressed the need to restore peace and stability in the region as soon as possible.

"If you are a state, it's a serious business. You have to behave according to major international regulations and rules, and Palestinians should be given those rights and obligations. If we don't do that, it will be violence and terror that would speak, and that I think is wrong. There is a terrible war going on. Norway condemns the attack that hit Israel a year ago, a brutal attack on civilians. We defend Israel's right to defend itself, but the way this war has gone on is beyond what is acceptable according to international law, and not least humanitarian. And then we have to look ahead. How can there be peace and stability and security in this region? Because wars there are also dangerous for world stability an beyond," he noted.

Norway to continue advancing Palestinian-Israeli peace process: PM

Norway to continue advancing Palestinian-Israeli peace process: PM

China's total import and export volume of trade in sports services reached 52.89 billion yuan (about 7.45 billion U.S. dollars) in 2023, said the State General Administration of Sport on Wednesday.

At a press conference in Beijing, Zhou Jinqiang, deputy director of the State General Administration of Sport, briefed on the achievements scored by China since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) in 2012.

China's sports sector has achieved high-quality development, with a widespread trend of fitness among the public, remarkable achievements in competitive sports, vibrant youth sports activities, and rapid growth in the sports industry, Zhou said, adding these advancements have contributed to building China into a leading sports nation.

"Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, the total scale and added value of China's sports industry have significantly increased, with growth rates surpassing those of GDP during the same period. The proportion of the sports industry in the country's GDP has also continued to rise steadily," said Zhou.

"From 2012 to 2022, the annual average growth rate of the added value of the sports industry reached 15.4 percent, with its share of the domestic GDP increasing from 0.60 percent to 1.08 percent. In 2023, China's total import and export volume of trade in sports services stood at 52.89 billion yuan, marking a 178 percent increase compared to the previous year. At present, China has essentially forged a sports industry system that is led by competitive performances and fitness leisure, with the joint development of sports venue services, sports training, sports manufacturing, and sports media," said Zhou.

China's total trade in sports services reaches 52.89 bln yuan in 2023: official