OSLO: The Norwegian company owning the popular Opera web browser said on Wednesday that a Chinese consortium led by the Golden Brick Silk Road investment fund had offered 10.5 billion kroner ($1.2 billion) to take it over. The Opera Software board unanimously recommended the offer, saying that at 71 kroner per share it represents a 56 per cent premium on the average price over the last 30 trading days. The company had made no secret of its desire to find a buyer and its shares were suspended on the Oslo stock exchange on Friday pending the announcement. Large shareholders owning a combined 33 per cent of the company had already agreed to accept the offer, Opera said in its statement. Golden Brick leads a consortium that includes several other Chinese companies, including Beijing Kunlun Tech, which specialises in mobile games, and Qihoo 360, which specialises in cyber security.