On 3 June, 2024, Chinese Ambassador to Sweden Cui Aimin attended the the 7th CIIE Promotion Event in Sweden and delivered a keynote speech. The excerpts are as follows:

China and Sweden enjoy a long history of economic and trade exchanges. Our long term friendly exchanges and practical cooperation have brought tangible benefits to our two countries and two peoples, and laid a solid foundation for future cooperation between enterprises fom both sides. Since the establishment of diplomatic relations between our two countries 74 years ago, China and Sweden have maintained each others’ biggest trading partner in Asia and the Nordic region respectively, and the trade structure is constantly optimized. Currently, more than 10,000 Swedish enterprises have trade relations with China, and more than 600 Swedish enterprises operate in China. Among the EU countries, Sweden is China's fourth largest investment destination and the sixth largest source of foreign investment. Cooperation between the two sides in emerging areas is constantly strengthened. Many Chinese enterprises are actively expanding their business layout in Sweden, and a number of well-known Swedish enterprises continuously increase their investment in China.

Both China and Sweden support multilateralism and free trade, and actively respond to climate change. We have complementary industrial advantages and broad prospects for cooperation.We both attach great importance to scientific and technological innovation, sustainable development and opening up. At present, Sweden is one of the world's leading innovation powerhouses, and China is vigorously developing new quality productive forces driven by innovation and comprehensively promoting high-quality development. Sweden was the first country to put forward the concept of sustainable development, while China has world leading new energy technologies. Sweden is an export-oriented country, while China has a huge market. Therefore, for Sweden, China is an opportunity rather than a risk, a partner rather than a rival. Investing in China is investing in thefuture.

To hold the China International Import Expo is a major initiative to open up China's market to the world, reflecting ourconsistent position in supporting multilateral trading system and pushing forward the development of free trade. It is also a practical action of China to promote the construction of an open world economy and to support economic globalization. Last year, 28 Swedish enterprises participated in the CIIE, hitting a record high, The exhibition area was the sixth largest in the EU. This indicates that more and more Swedish enterprises are optimistic about seeking market opportunities through the CIIE. We hope that more Swedish enterprises take the CIIE as a platform to further expand their business in the Chinese market and deepen mutually beneficial cooperation in innovation, green, digital and other areas, so as to make greater achievements in the Chinese market.

China will not change its resolve to open wider at high standard; will not change its determination to share development opportunities with the rest of the world; and will not change its commitment to an economic globalization that is more open, inclusive, balanced and beneficial for all. We have every confidence in China's prosperous development and future cooperation between China and Sweden. We are ready to work with countries including Sweden to practice genuine multilateralism and free trade, build up solidarity and cooperation through openness and inclusiveness, and achieve mutual benefit and win-win results through common development.