China–Iceland relations

China-Iceland relations

China	Iceland

The Chinese embassy in Reykjavík

China – Iceland relations are foreign relations between China and Iceland. Diplomatic relations between them were established on December 8, 1971. China has an embassy in Reykjavík.^[1] Iceland has an embassy in Beijing and an honorary counsulate in Hong Kong.^[2]

History

In May 1972, China assigned the first resident ambassador to Iceland. In 1995, Iceland set up its embassy in Beijing and assigned its first resident ambassador to China. In December 1995, China resumed the practice of sending resident ambassadors to Iceland (between 1983 and 1995, the Chinese ambassador to Copenhagen, Denmark, was also accredited to Iceland).

In 2010, Enex, an Icelandic firm, signed an agreement on digging for geothermal energy in Inner Mongolia and Shaanxi, China.^[3]

In 2011, Chinese tycoon Huang Nubo offered to buy Grímsstaðir in North-East Iceland. The deal fell through.^[4]

In 2013, Iceland signed a free trade agreement with China. This was the first Chinese free trade agreement with a European country.^[5]

References

1. "Foreign missions". Icelandic Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Retrieved 24 May 2015.
2. "Icelandic missions". Icelandic Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Retrieved 24 May 2015.
3. "Iceland banks on geothermal for economic expansion". The Guardian. Retrieved 7 July 2015.
4. "Hands off our wilderness". The economist. Retrieved 7 July 2015.
5. "Iceland Is First in Europe to Sign Free Trade Pact With China". Bloomberg. Retrieved 7 July 2015.