The Chinese Embassy in Sweden said it opposed what it called “unfounded accusations” made by a small number of Swedish politicians about Chinese products and trade measures, and urged “two-way openness” instead of barriers.
The embassy was responding to an opinion article by two Swedish politicians that raised concerns about China–EU trade relations, China’s new energy products, and China’s export controls on rare earths, including claims that Chinese solar panels and autonomous vehicles could be used for surveillance.
In a statement published on the embassy’s official WeChat account, it said China “has never required, and will never require” companies or individuals to provide overseas data to the Chinese government in violation of local laws, and described the surveillance claims as speculation.
On rare earth export controls, the embassy said the materials have dual-use attributes and that China applies licensing reviews in line with laws, regulations, and international practices. It added that China has recently approved some general licence applications that meet requirements.
The embassy also rejected claims that reliance on China is “extremely dangerous,” and said China–EU trade is mutually beneficial. It cited official data saying China and the EU are each other’s second-largest trading partners and that two-way investment stock is about 260$ billion.
