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Søren Gade (V) received a letter from the Foreign Ministry after the Port of Esbjerg, where he is chairman of the board, entered into an agreement with a Chinese port without the ministry’s knowledge.

A Social Liberal figure worries about Danish-Chinese port cooperation that bypasses the ministry

Søren Gade (V) is speaker of the Danish Parliament and chairman of the Port of Esbjerg. It is in the latter role that he is now drawing criticism from the Social Liberal Thomas Rohden. Arkivfoto: Jens Dresling
Søren Gade (V) is speaker of the Danish Parliament and chairman of the Port of Esbjerg. It is in the latter role that he is now drawing criticism from the Social Liberal Thomas Rohden. Arkivfoto: Jens Dresling
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Without the Foreign Ministry’s knowledge, a partnership agreement – a so-called memorandum of understanding – was signed in 2025 between the Port of Esbjerg and the Chinese port Ningbo Zhoushan Port on China’s east coast.

It was striking enough that in December 2025 – two months after the agreement was concluded – the Foreign Ministry sent a letter signed by Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen (M) and addressed to Søren Gade (V), who, in addition to serving as Speaker of the Danish Parliament, is the chairman of the board of the Port of Esbjerg.

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