Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi has urged Sweden to help rebuild trust between the two countries and cultivate a “correct perception” of each other despite their frictions in recent years.
“Sweden was the first Western country that established diplomatic relations with China, which showed Sweden’s independence and strategic foresight while setting an example globally,” Wang told Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson in Stockholm on Saturday, according to the Chinese foreign ministry.
“Although China-Sweden relations have encountered some difficulties in recent years, strengthening dialogue, enhancing understanding and rebuilding mutual trust have become particularly crucial for both sides, and maintaining a correct mutual perception remains the fundamental key.”
Brussels complains that subsidised Chinese firms are undercutting local industries by selling products cheaply on the European market – a charge Beijing denies.
At the same time, anxieties persist that when the war in the Middle East ends, US President Donald Trump may revive his ambitions to acquire Greenland, a Danish territory he has described as vital to Washington’s national security.
