Niklas Swanström in the South China Morning Post about why China and the U.S. wanted Sweden to host trade talks
July 28, 2025: Niklas Swanström, ISDP’s Executive Director, was interviewed by the South China Morning Post about why China and the U.S. wanted Sweden to host trade talks.
“The new Chinese ambassador to Sweden, Cui Aimin, has also adopted a more mild and cooperative tone in contrast with his predecessor Gui Congyou”, Swanström said, “who was a proponent of the more combative “wolf warrior” style of communication.”
“This ambassador we have now is seen as someone much more constructive, and the business community has been arguing that we should give China a second chance.”
“Sweden has a long history of playing the role of a neutral mediator”, Swanström said. “The country is one of the few Western nations to have diplomatic relations with North Korea, for instance, and has hosted talks between Pyongyang and Washington.”