Christian Pavón (
The Swedish Foreign Minister Maria Stenergard visited China in October to discuss trade, climate policy, and international relations. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi expressed great hope for improved Swedish-Chinese relations.
The Chinese Foreign Ministry describes the meeting as very important and emphasises that Sweden was the first country to officially recognise the People’s Republic of China as a legitimate state.
They also emphasise that Sweden is an important country in the EU and that they have high hopes of developing good relations with Sweden as long as both parties respect each other and see each other as equals.
China has promised that Swedish citizens will be able to travel to China without a visa in order to promote good interpersonal relations between the two peoples. This is the first time in 16 years that a Swedish foreign minister has visited the country.
China Daily, China’s largest English-language newspaper, reports that Wang Yi, China’s foreign minister, has emphasised that Sweden and China have great opportunities for exchange in technology and trade, as well as bilateral relations.
The Chinese Foreign Ministry views Sweden’s attitude toward good relations with China very positively:
“Sweden is willing to work with China to build a mutually beneficial and balanced economic and trade relationship, strengthen cooperation in trade and investment, scientific and technological innovation, and green transition, and deepen exchanges and cooperation in education, culture, and people-to-people areas.”
China Daily also reports that Stenergard agrees with the “One China doctrine,” which means recognising that China has legitimacy in its claim to incorporate Taiwan into China, but at the same time not necessarily fully supporting that claim.
It is clear that relations between Sweden and China seem to be changing for the better. Sweden’s Minister for Foreign Trade, Benjamin Dousa, has also expressed himself positively about Swedish-Chinese relations:
”China is an important trading partner for Sweden and the EU, while at the same time the trade relationship has become increasingly complex and challenging. This complexity has increased as the global trading system is now under severe pressure. Dialogue with Chinese representatives is important in order to convey Sweden’s views on trade and political issues that are priorities for us.”
The conclusion is that this meeting appears to have been very successful and that previous disagreements, although not entirely gone, are beginning to ease. However, the Swedish evening tabloid Aftonbladet writes critically about this meeting and argues that Stenergard is too naive towards China and does not attach sufficient importance to the imprisoned bookseller Gui Minhai.
On the other hand, if you search the Swedish media in general, most of the reports on this meeting are positive, as it is fortunate for Sweden to have good relations with China.
Both Swedish and Chinese media also unanimously emphasise the importance of extensive cooperation in the field of green energy, something in which China is a world leader, but where Sweden is also a producer and innovator, despite Sweden’s small size compared to larger countries such as India, China, and the United States.