From left: Pharmaceutical drugs exhibited by LEO Pharma from Denmark at the seventh China International Import Expo held in Shanghai in November 2024. The booth of Danish LINAK at the 89th China International Medical Equipment (Spring) Fair held in Shanghai in April 2024.

As China and Denmark celebrate the 75th anniversary of their diplomatic relations this year, the countries are embracing deeper collaboration across a wide range of sectors — from agriculture and clean energy to healthcare and logistics — reinforcing their shared commitment to sustainable development and people-to-people exchanges.

Chinese Ambassador to Denmark Wang Xuefeng recently met with Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen to discuss advancing bilateral ties.

"The current momentum of China-Denmark relations is strong," said Wang. He noted that the Green Joint Work Programme, launched in 2023 between the governments of China and Denmark, is progressing in an orderly manner, and practical cooperation in various fields continues to yield new results. China is ready to work with Denmark to take the 75th anniversary as an opportunity to elevate the comprehensive strategic partnership to new heights.

Rasmussen echoed the sentiment, saying that "Denmark values its relationship with China and looks forward to deepening friendly exchanges and cooperation. We are committed to advancing bilateral relations and fostering friendship between our peoples."

Economic ties between China and Denmark remain a cornerstone of their relationship. According to Chinese customs data, the total trade volume between China and Denmark hit $15.46 billion in 2024, a year-on-year increase of 12.8 percent. China remains Denmark's largest trading partner in Asia, while Denmark continues to be one of China's most important economic partners in northern Europe.

Denmark's exports to China — which include pharmaceuticals, food products, energy technology, and industrial machinery — highlight the complementarity between the two economies.

China, in turn, exports electronics, textiles, and mechanical products to Denmark. This mutually beneficial trade relationship continues to be supported by robust diplomatic engagement and market access initiatives.

Dynamic area

Agriculture has emerged as a particularly dynamic area of cooperation. During a recent visit to Beijing, Danish Minister for Food, Agriculture and Fisheries Jacob Jensen met with Chinese Minister of Agriculture and Rural Affairs Han Jun to discuss enhancing agricultural collaboration.

China-Denmark agricultural cooperation mechanisms have improved steadily in recent years, said Han, adding that agricultural trade is growing, and technical exchanges are deepening. "We've also made progress in key areas such as dairy," he added.

Han emphasized China's commitment to high-level opening-up and called for intensified cooperation on green agriculture, smart farming and the efficient use of swine genetic resources. Jensen underscored that Denmark is ready to strengthen exchanges with China in agricultural science and technology and animal health. Both sides agreed to pursue joint efforts in climate-resilient agriculture, co-sign an action plan, and convene a new round of working group meetings.

Building on this high-level consensus, collaboration is taking shape on the ground. On March 13, in a bid to promote sustainable swine production and accelerate agricultural modernization, a Danish delegation representing the pig and dairy industries visited the headquarters of Chinese agri-tech company Shenzhen Kingkey Smart Agriculture Times in Shenzhen, Guangdong province. There the two sides engaged in in-depth discussions on livestock farming practices, environmental technologies, and sustainable agriculture.

Katja Goodhew, minister counselor for food, agriculture and fisheries at the embassy of Denmark in Beijing, highlighted Denmark's advanced standards in odor control, waste treatment, and biosecurity — key drivers behind Denmark's agricultural innovation.

Kingkey Smart Agri showcased its achievements in vertical pig farming, circular agriculture, and waste-to-fertilizer solutions that create a closed-loop green ecosystem.

Another notable example of Sino-Danish agricultural collaboration is the recent import of 1,100 high-quality Danish breeding pigs to Pinglang town, Duyun city, Guizhou province, on April 26. Imported by Guizhou Yixin Seed Industry Technology, this initiative aims to modernize the region's pig-breeding system, reduce reliance on foreign seed sources, and enhance local breeding capacity, solidifying Duyun's position as a hub for pig genetics innovation in Southwest China.

Sustainable path

The China-Denmark partnership has been marked by a strong mutual emphasis on sustainability. The Green Joint Work Programme provides a strategic framework for joint initiatives in areas such as environmental protection, water management, healthcare, food and agriculture, as well as the transition to green energy.

At the China International Import Expo in Shanghai that took place in November, Denmark was a high-profile participant — for the seventh consecutive year — and debuted two national pavilions focusing on food and life sciences.

"China is Denmark's second-largest market for pharmaceuticals, biological solutions, and medical equipment," said Danish Ambassador to China Michael Starb�0�3k Christensen. "Both countries face the challenge of aging populations. This is a great opportunity to showcase Danish healthcare solutions aligned with China's Healthy China 2030 strategy."

Ambassador Christensen added that Denmark hopes to consolidate green cooperation by offering its clean energy solutions. He said that China has made impressive strides in solar energy. He recalled his visit to Qinghai province, a region that, along with the Inner Mongolia autonomous region, is taking renewable energy seriously and generating significant amounts of clean power.

He added that a key challenge now lies in efficiently transmitting this energy to eastern regions such as Beijing, which could present opportunities for collaboration.

Danish companies have been at the forefront of China's green transformation. Scan Global Logistics, one of Denmark's largest logistics companies, recently reached a milestone in China. In March, SGL was granted the status of regional headquarters by the Shanghai municipal government. In April, the company launched China's first all-electric trunk route fleet, along with a smart freight operations center.

"With this, our zero-carbon logistics corridor in China has entered a new stage," said SGL Global CEO Allan Melgaard at the inauguration of the company's new office on Shanghai's North Bund. "China will undoubtedly become a core engine for global growth."

Equipped with 132 kilowatt-hour battery systems, the new electric trucks boast a 200-kilometer range and lower carbon dioxide emissions by up to 95 percent compared to diesel trucks. The newly established operations center enables full-chain digital monitoring, including real-time tracking and temperature and humidity control.

"China has evolved from a highway freight superpower to an innovation hub for green technologies," said SGL CEO Asia Rickard Ingvarsson. "We are committed to long-term investment."

SGL Chief Operating Officer Mads Drejer revealed plans to expand operations to Hangzhou in Zhejiang province, Nanjing in Jiangsu province, and western China. Shanghai will continue to be the heart of the company's strategy for China, he said.

Another symbol of Danish investment in China is Grundfos, the world's largest pump manufacturer. With an 80-year history and a 30-year presence in China, Grundfos has played a role in constructing some of the nation's most iconic infrastructure projects — including the Bird's Nest stadium and Shanghai Disneyland.

In March 2024, Grundfos opened a high-end manufacturing facility in Changshu, Jiangsu province. The factory, which spans 35,000 square meters and represents a $100 million investment, is among the most sustainable globally.

Group CEO Poul Due Jensen said that since Grundfos entered China in 1995, the market has grown to become one of its most important globally. He expressed pride in contributing to China's green development through the company's energy-efficient solutions.

Recently, the factory received China's first national energy-saving certification for a variable frequency centrifugal pump system — a benchmark in accelerating the green transition of the industry. Grundfos also helped shape China's first mandatory efficiency standard for such pump systems.

Grundfos China is now leading sustainability audits among its core suppliers. The company requires its partners to undergo third-party certifications such as EcoVadis to ensure environmental compliance throughout the supply chain. The goal is to build a transparent, responsible, and resilient green value chain, according to the company.

Jiangsu has become a hub for Danish enterprises, with more than 100 Danish companies operating in the province, including 45 in Suzhou. Grundfos' investment is among the largest single-project Danish investments in China over the past decade. It also stands as the company's biggest overseas investment to date.