Relationship dossier
People's Republic of China
Sweden
Relationship assessment
Bilateral cooperation continues amid recurring human-rights and security disputes.
People's Republic of China toward Sweden
-35China joined Sweden in a 2017 innovation partnership, but its government has also sharply criticized Swedish actions concerning Gui Minhai and Sweden's restrictions on Chinese telecom suppliers.
Sweden toward People's Republic of China
-30Sweden entered an innovation partnership with China in 2017. Its government has criticized China's treatment of Swedish citizen Gui Minhai and restricted Huawei and ZTE from Sweden's 5G networks.
Overall relationship
-25The relationship combines practical cooperation, including an innovation partnership, with sustained friction over human rights and telecommunications security. Disputes involving Gui Minhai and Sweden's 5G restrictions have weighed on ties, while bilateral cooperation has not wholly ceased.
How to read these scores
Scores are rough judgments, not objective measurements or current verification. Directional scores describe government policy and conduct, not public opinion. The overall score is an independent estimate, never an average.
- −100
- Extreme sustained hostility
- −50
- Substantially adversarial
- 0
- Mixed or neutral, supported by knowledge
- +50
- Substantially cooperative
- +100
- Exceptionally close sustained partnership
“Not assessed” means there is no recorded score. Pair existence makes no claim about diplomatic recognition or established relations.
Relationship context
Overview
China and Sweden have pursued bilateral cooperation, including a 2017 innovation partnership, but relations have also faced recurring disputes over human rights and security. The case of Swedish citizen Gui Minhai became a major source of tension, while Sweden's restrictions on Chinese telecom suppliers drew objections from Beijing. Cooperation has continued alongside these disagreements.
Areas of tension
- The treatment and detention of Swedish citizen Gui Minhai.
- Sweden's restrictions on Huawei and ZTE in its 5G networks.
- Chinese objections to Swedish criticism and actions concerning human-rights issues.
Key developments
China and Sweden established an innovation partnership during Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Löfven's visit to China.
Sweden barred Huawei and ZTE from participating in its 5G networks, prompting objections from China.
Major uncertainties
- The scope and implementation of the 2017 innovation partnership are unclear.
- The extent of recent bilateral government cooperation is uncertain.