Already 1000 years ago, Chinese textiles traveled to Sweden on the Silk Road. Today, over 500 Swedish companies run operations in China. Over the centuries, Sweden and China have interacted through culture, ides, products, technology and science. The newly released book The little country with the big companies gives an historical overview of this exchange.
The book, with the subtitle “A millenium of Swedish-Chinese commerce” begins with the Vikings who brought silk from China and ends with how today’s large Swedish companies, like H&M and Volvo, are active in China. The book also highlights several “Did you know that”-facts, such as Roxette being the second foreign pop band to perform in China in modern time, and that famed table tennis player Jan-Ove Waldner used to market Electrolux vacuum cleaners in China.
We at the Centre for Business History in Stockholm have produced the book by assignment from the Swedish Embassy in China.
