Upvote:2
I don't know about the Chinese consulates in Norway, but for the Chinese consulates in the U.S., you need to either use a U.S. passport, or show them evidence of lawful presence in the U.S. If you are a national of Norway applying in Norway, then they want you to use your Norwegian passport, because the rates for different countries' nationals may be different, due to reciprocity.
It may be that since Norway is in the Schengen Area, and you are a German national, you can get away with pretending you're not a Norwegian national.
Upvote:6
First of all, Norwegian passports are relatively cheap. If you are older than 16, the passport fee is NOK 450 (appr 54β¬) and if you are younger, the fee is NOK 270 (appr 32β¬). The passport is valid for 10 years if you are older than 16, otherwise it is only issued for 5 years.
According to the Chinese Embassy in Oslo, you must provide your original passport together with the visa application. There seem not to be any excemptions for group visas. Why don't you simply apply for a visa with your German passport? Unless you are planning to apply for a Norwegian passport before you travel in March, you would have to use your German passport as a travel document anyway. Be aware though, that you can only apply for a Chinese visa in Norway with a German passport if you are a permanent resident in Norway. The embassy expect you to include proof of residence with the visa application.