Dear friends,
2021 is coming soon. On the occasion of saying goodbye to the old and welcoming the new, on behalf of the Chinese Consulate-General in Gothenburg, I would like to extend New Year’s greetings and blessings to all friends from all walks of life who care about and support the economic and trade cooperation between China and Gothenburg!
The year 2020 is a very extraordinary one. In the fight against COVID-19, we have been committed to the vision of a community with a shared future for mankind. We have been actively engaged in international cooperation against COVID-19 in an open, transparent and responsible manner, and worked together to address common threats and challenges. We have innovated ways to hold the 3rd China International Import Expo as scheduled and held online China Import and Export Fair and China International Trade in Services Fair and other exhibitions to build platforms for promoting two-way cooperation during the epidemic. We have done our best to provide visa facilitation to Swedish business people who need to go to China, so as to ensure the smooth progress of economic and trade activities during the epidemic. Chinese companies and overseas Chinese have made great efforts to purchase medical equipment from China and donate them to local medical institutions, making their own contributions to the fight against the epidemic in Gothenburg.
The year 2020 is also an extraordinary year for the world economy. The outbreak of COVID-19 has brought unprecedented difficulties and challenges to the world economy. West Sweden cannot be left alone in such a situation, and its economic development has encountered some pressure. But we are glad to see that thanks to the joint efforts of the district councils, city and municipal governments and the business community, companies have gradually recovered with orders and production, social order has been maintained and people’s lives are normal. Although the epidemic continues to spread, all of us have the confidence and determination to fight against it. We believe that we will finally overcome the epidemic and usher in an even better tomorrow!
The year 2020 marks the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Sweden. Over the past 70 years, bilateral relations have made substantial progress. Friendly exchanges and win-win cooperation have always been the mainstream and direction of China-Sweden relations. More than 260 years ago, the "Göteborg" Merchant ship sailed to China and brought back a large quantity of Chinese tea, silk and porcelain, launching the Sino-Swedish Maritime Silk Road cooperation. Today, the spirit of "Göteborg" is still inherited. The cooperation between China's Geely Group and Volvo and the success of SKF and Scania in the Chinese market continue to add momentum to the two-way cooperation.
Dear friends,
West Gotland and the city of Gothenburg are Sweden's manufacturing centers and also windows of international trade cooperation. Cooperation with China has been fruitful. In recent years, Chinese enterprises have flourished in western Sweden, which has promoted the local social and economic development and employment. We would also like to thank our friends in the business community for their care and support to China-Gothenburg economic and trade cooperation during the difficult time of the epidemic. In 2021, we hope that the epidemic will end and the economy will recover. The Chinese Consulate-General in Gothenburg will, as always, be committed to promoting China-Sweden economic and trade cooperation to a new and higher level.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you all!
Gu Hui
Chinese Consul-General to Gothenburg
2020-12-14