The Ambassador of Sweden to China (known formally as the Ambassador of the Kingdom of Sweden to the People's Republic of China) is the official representative of the government of Sweden to the president of China and government of China. The ambassador has a dual accreditation to Ulaanbaatar (Mongolia).
History Sweden's first envoy accredited to China was the minister in Tokyo, Japan, Envoy Gustaf Wallenberg. In April 1907, Wallenberg was in Beijing to have the Treaty of Canton (1847) between Sweden–Norway and China amended and to establish diplomatic relations between Sweden and China.
During the 1920s and 1930s, legation counselors from the Swedish legation in Tokyo where based in Beijing and served as chargés d'affaires ad interim when the minister was absent. From 1933, the holder of the consul general position also served as the chargé d'affaires ad interim in the Republic of China.
The Committee of Supply report issued in March 1937 stated that the leadership of Sweden's diplomatic representation in China had been exercised by the minister stationed in Tokyo. In the minister's absence, the consul general in Shanghai served as chargé d'affaires ad interim. However, the minister for foreign affairs considered this provisional arrangement unsuitable given recent developments. Both the Swedish National Board of Trade and industry organizations supported the establishment of an independent diplomatic mission in China. It was therefore proposed that a new legation be created in China starting the next fiscal year, by upgrading the Consulate General in Shanghai to a full ministerial post (envoy). Initially, the new envoy would remain in Shanghai but could be relocated to Nanjing if deemed appropriate. It was also proposed that the envoy to China be accredited to Siam (Thailand), a responsibility then held by the envoy in Tokyo. Johan Beck-Friis became Sweden's first resident envoy to China on 1 July 1937.
In 1947, an agreement was reached between the Swedish and Nationalist governments on the mutual elevation of the respective countries' legations to embassies. The diplomatic rank was thereafter changed to ambassador instead of envoy extraordinary and minister plenipotentiary.
List of representatives NamePeriodTitleResident / Concurrent accreditationNotesPresented credentialsRefQing dynasty (–1912)Gustaf Wallenberg1907–1912EnvoyResident in TokyoRepublic of China (1912–1949)Gustaf Wallenberg1912–1918EnvoyResident in TokyoDavid Bergström7 May 1918 – 10 June 1920Acting envoyResident in TokyoThore Fevrell1918–1919Chargé d'affaires ad interimAlso in TokyoDavid Bergström11 June 1920 – 27 October 1922EnvoyResident in TokyoOskar Ewerlöf1923–1928EnvoyResident in Tokyo8 November 1923Carl Leijonhufvud27 June 1924 – 1930Chargé d'affaires ad interimJohan Hultman1929–1936EnvoyResident in TokyoJoen Lagerberg14 July 1930 – 1932Chargé d'affaires ad interimJohan Beck-Friis18 January 1936 – 30 June 1937Chargé d'affaires ad interimConsul General in Shanghai.Johan Beck-Friis1 July 1937 – 1939EnvoyBased in ShanghaiErik Kronvall1939–1941Chargé d'affaires ad interimBased in Shanghai–1940–1943EnvoyVacantMalte Pripp1940–1946Chargé d'affaires ad interimBased in ShanghaiSven Allard1943–1944Acting envoyResident in ChongqingSven Allard1944 – August 1947EnvoyResident in Chongqing (1944–1945), Nanjing (1945–1946), and Shanghai (from 1947)Henrik RamelAugust 1947 – April 1948Chargé d'affairesTorsten HammarströmJuly 1947 – 1 October 1949AmbassadorAlso acreddited as envoy to Manila (from 1947) and Bangkok (from 1948)People's Republic of China (1949–present)Torsten Hammarström1 October 1949 – 1951AmbassadorAlso acreddited as envoy to Manila and Bangkok13 June 1950Staffan Söderblom1 July 1951 – 1952AmbassadorAssumed office 15 JulyHugo Wistrand1952–1956AmbassadorAlso acreddited to Bangkok (1953–1956)Klas Böök1956–1961AmbassadorAlso acreddited to Bangkok (1956–1959)Kjell Öberg1961–1962AmbassadorLennart Petri1963–1969AmbassadorAlso acreddited to Phnom Penh (1965–1969)Arne Björnberg1969–1974AmbassadorAlso acreddited to Phnom Penh (1969–1974), Hanoi (1969–1972), and Pyongyang (1973–1974)Political appointee (non-career diplomat)Kaj Björk1975–1980AmbassadorAlso acreddited to Phnom Penh (until 1979) and PyongyangPolitical appointee (non-career diplomat)Sten Sundfeldt1980–1982AmbassadorAlso acreddited to PyongyangLars Bergquist1982–1988AmbassadorAlso acreddited to PyongyangBjörn Skala1988–1991AmbassadorAlso acreddited to PyongyangSven Linder23 September 1992 – 1997AmbassadorAlso acreddited to Pyongyang and UlaanbaatarSven LinderKjell Anneling1997–2002AmbassadorAlso acreddited to Pyongyang and UlaanbaatarBörje Ljunggren20 November 2002 – 2006AmbassadorAlso acreddited to UlaanbaatarBörje LjunggrenMikael Lindström2006–2010AmbassadorAlso acreddited to UlaanbaatarLars Fredén1 September 2010 – 2016AmbassadorAlso acreddited to Ulaanbaatar1 December 2010Anna Lindstedt1 September 2016 – February 2019AmbassadorHelena Sångeland2019–2023AmbassadorPer AugustssonAugust 2023 – presentAmbassador30 January 2024
See also China–Sweden relations Embassy of Sweden, Beijing List of ambassadors of China to Sweden
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