Mr. Frédéric Cho, Acting Chairman of SCTC,
Ms. Elisabet Söderström, Secretary General of SCTC,
Board Members of SCTC,
Good morning!
It gives me great pleasure to meet with the board members of the Sweden-China Trade Council (SCTC) online. I am very impressed by what I just heard from you---the commitment, enthusiasm and expectations for China-Sweden business cooperation.
Since its establishment in 1980, the SCTC has been supporting Swedish companies, especially SMEs, in growing in the Chinese market. It serves as a bridge of friendship for promoting mutually beneficial economic cooperation. I’d like to avail myself of this opportunity to express sincere respect and appreciation to you.
The year 2021 has been tumultuous. The pandemic, with the emergence of the delta and omicron variants, disrupted the global supply chains, international trade and people-to-people exchange, making the recovery of the global economy more difficult. But with efforts from countries around the world, the global economy is gradually lifting itself from the pandemic. Last year, while maintaining strict anti-COVID-19 measures to protect the safety of the people, China has been the first country out of the woods, with its GDP growing by 8.1% and retail sales of consumer goods by 12.5%, and its foreign reserve increased to USD 3.25 trillion .
China’s trade and FDI have also been growing rapidly. In 2021, China’s trade in goods reached 39.1 trillion rmb yuan, and FDI in China registered 936 billion rmb yuan, both among the top of the world. China’s hi-tech manufacturing added 18.2% of value, thanks to its flourishing new business forms and models. The growth has also been motivated by the increasing application of the latest information technology in e-commerce and mobile payment.
On 17 January, President Xi Jinping said at the 2022 World Economic Forum that China will stay committed to reform and opening-up, and whatever change in the international landscape, China will always hold high the banner of reform and opening-up, steadily advance institutional opening-up that covers rules, management and standards, deliver national treatment for foreign businesses, and promote high-quality Belt and Road cooperation.
Guided by this vision, China will open more sectors to foreign investment, reduce the negative list, increase protection for the rights and interests of foreign investors, and foster a business environment that is more market-oriented and law-based, one that is more friendly to international investment. As the pandemic situation improves, a more vibrant and open Chinese market will bring more opportunities to Swedish companies.
Ladies and gentlemen,
The year 2021 has been truly extraordinary, which is also true to China-Sweden relations. I am delighted to see cooperation between Chinese and Swedish companies becoming increasingly important for our bilateral relations. According to numbers of the Chinese side, trade in goods between China and Sweden last year exceeded USD 20 billion for the first time, hitting a record of USD 20.9 billion, up 17%. China exported USD 11 billion worth of goods to Sweden, up 32%, and imported USD 9.9 billion worth of goods from Sweden, up 4%.
Despite a sharp drop of Swedish investment in China in 2020 due to the pandemic, Swedish companies invested USD 300 million in China in 2021, up by over 45%, bringing Sweden’s total investment in China to nearly USD 6 billion. Chinese companies invested USD 600 million in Sweden last year, up 22%. Moreover, our two countries are making investments in previously untapped fields, and investments in renewable energy and electric vehicles have opened new areas of cooperation.
I’m glad to see that a Chinese infrastructure company has won another Swedish subway contract with its efficiency and professionalism, which shows a bright prospect for our infrastructure cooperation. Admittedly, there are also some challenges and difficulties, but I am confident that as long as the two sides uphold fairness, transparency and openness, the problems will be resolved.
Ladies and gentlemen,
Since its inception, the SCTC has been committed to advancing bilateral economic and trade cooperation between China and Sweden. It co-founded the China-Sweden green industry cooperation platform with the Embassy in 2015, and since then it has hosted the green industry cooperation conference for three years. It received a number of business delegations from China, and organized many seminars and presentation events. It actively supports Swedish companies in participating in major trade and investment fairs in China, such as the China International Import Expo, the Canton Fair and the China Fair. The long list of SCTC’s achievements shows that the organization and its member companies play an indispensable role in promoting friendly exchanges and cooperation between the Chinese and Swedish business sectors.
As Ambassador of China to Sweden, I look forward to seeing SCTC continuing to use its influence in the Swedish business community, to play the role of a bridge-builder, and contribute to China-Sweden business cooperation. Here are some of my hopes:
The first hope is for SCTC to contribute your wisdom and ideas to fulfilling the potential of China-Sweden economic and trade cooperation. In the post-Covid-19 era, all countries need to figure out how to boost economic recovery. We need to find new opportunities to lift ourselves out of the shadow of the pandemic. Both China and Sweden have set the goal for carbon neutrality. We are both working actively to combat climate change, and we both have expectations for more cooperation in renewable energy, new materials, modern agriculture and bio-medicine. I hope SCTC will facilitate cooperation in these fields, contribute more suggestions and ideas, and work with the Chinese side to build more cooperation platforms and channels.
The second hope is for SCTC member companies to make their success stories in China known to the Swedish business community and public, to strengthen their confidence in conducting mutually beneficial cooperation with Chinese partners. As Chinese people often say, confidence is more valuable than gold. As long as our two sides continue to be confident in working together, the prospects of our business cooperation will be bright.
The third hope is for SCTC to contribute to a favorable environment in policy, business and public opinion How productive our economic and trade cooperation is, is determined by how much effort we put in fostering a favorable cooperation atmosphere. To put up trade barriers and paint our business cooperation in a bad light with no factual basis, is not in the interest of the two sides. I know the SCTC is a highly respected and influential institution among the Swedish business community, and I hope you will make some efforts to foster a more tolerant and harmonious environment for our business cooperation.
The fourth hope is for SCTC to use the opportunity of Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics to advance winter sports business cooperation. Sweden has sent 116 athletes to Beijing, its largest ever Olympic delegation. Team Sweden has won four gold medals, and I congratulate the athletes for their excellent performance. Sweden is not only strong in winter sports, but is also home to a number of major international sport equipment brands. China and Sweden are already working together on winter sports, with the Changchun Vasaloppet being one example. As pointed out by President Xi Jinping, to get 300 million Chinese people participating in winter sports will create tremendous business opportunities. I hope the SCTC will play a role in facilitating broader and deeper cooperation between our winter sports companies.
You are all friends of the Chinese people and partners of the Chinese companies. Sharing the same vision, we have been and will be working together towards the same goal. During my time in Sweden, I look forward to working with you all, to open a new chapter of China-Sweden economic and trade cooperation in the post-Covid-19 era, a chapter of openness, sharing and win-win cooperation.
In the Chinese lunar calendar, 2022 is the year of the tiger, which symbolizes strength, vitality and luck. On this note, I wish you all success, health and happiness in the year of the tiger.
Thank you!