REmidas of One A world of evil proliferates in Stockholm’s Alffursten Palace, the imposing home of the Swedish Ministry of Foreign Affairs. RWhas stood outside the main entrance for several years. It pays tribute to Raoul Wallenberg, the young diplomat who saved thousands of Jews in Nazi-occupied Hungary by creating a Swedish “protection pass” before disappearing into a Soviet prison. These days, the stone-floored foyer has also been decorated with four large flags. Three reflect Sweden’s proud self-image as a champion of free trade, development aid and international cooperation. These are the Swedish flag, the European Union flag and the United Nations flag. The fourth is a new flag. NATOSweden joined the defensive alliance in March after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine rocked the country from 200 years of neutrality.
Russia’s invasion of Sweden (Finland had preceded it) NATO Sweden’s decision a few months ago to formally link its security to that of the US-led Western world was strengthened by China’s next move, which strengthened Sweden’s and like-minded European resolve. In late May, Chaguan attended the Stockholm China Forum, a closed-door gathering of US and European government officials, business executives, analysts and Chinese scholars. I have been attending such forums since 2008. This time, the forum was marked by a consensus on the challenges that China poses to global security and the economic order.
