ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on political and commercial objectives in relations between Sweden and China since 1950. The Swedish government is forced by public opinion and by business interests to perform a balancing act in its relations with China. While trying to advance democracy and human rights, the government is also promoting trade and investments. Sweden's relations with China go back to the days of the Swedish East India Company with its large-scale trading in the 18th century, coupled with a fascination among the Swedish elite for the faraway country. Swedish politicians, diplomats and businesspeople often point out that Sweden was the first Western country to establish diplomatic relations with the government of the People's Republic of China (PRC) in 1950. In the UN, Sweden consistently supported the resolution that the PRC should take over China's seat from the Kuomintang government.
