Press release
10 June 2010
Ministry for Foreign Affairs
Relations between the US, Europe and an ever-stronger China - theme of the Stockholm China Forum
On 12-13 June, the Stockholm China Forum will hold its seventh meeting for transatlantic dialogue on and with China.
China's growing global role is one of the most important issues of our time. The fundamental, primary purpose of the Forum is, through regular meetings of an expert group, to deepen the discussion on what China's rise means and how it can be met in a way that contributes to international peace and development. China's participation is necessary for the world to address an increasing number of issues.
One key issue on the agenda of the seventh Forum is how China's foreign and security policy is changing and what can be done to build sustainable relations between the US, Europe and China. Special attention will be given to the issue of Iran.
The financial crisis has inevitably been a main theme at most of the recent Forums. This time, the economic discussions will focus on trade and currency issues, and the challenges that the business sectors in the US and Europe face in China.
The Stockholm China Forum has become a central forum for dialogue on China and, as has been the case at previous meetings, the circle of participants is highly qualified. A number of representatives of the Obama administration and leading think tanks in the US, Europe and China will attend. Among the latter are Kenneth Lieberthal from the Brookings Institution and Charles Freeman from the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, Mark Leonard, Director of the European Council on Foreign Relations, and Jia Qingguo from Peking University.
As at previous Forums, Sweden will be represented by Minister for Foreign Affairs Carl Bildt.
The Forum will take place at Hotel Skeppsholmen.
The Stockholm China Forum
The Stockholm China Forum was established in 2006 in dialogue between the German Marshall Fund of the United States (GMF), the Swedish Ministry for Foreign Affairs, the Swedish Foundation for International Cooperation in Research and Higher Education (STINT) and the Riksbankens Jubileumsfond (Bank of Sweden Tercentenary Foundation). All four parties contributed financially. The sixth Forum was held in January 2010. The coming Forum is the first in a second phase funded by the GMF, the Ministry for Foreign Affairs and the Riksbankens Jubileumsfond.
Contact
Ambassador Börje Ljunggren (Ministry for Foreign Affairs, Coordinator)+46 73 832 05 21
Deputy Director Mattias Chu, MFA Department for Asia and the Pacific Region
+46 70 214 66 14
