Swedish MP Boriana Åberg says the Swedish people support Taiwan and want to expand ties with the country. She said that was the message the Swedish parliament sent when it passed a proposal to rename the Swedish Trade and Investment Council in Taipei to the”House of Sweden.” The House of Sweden is the name of the building in Washington, DC that houses the Swedish embassy.
On April 28, the Swedish parliament voted 205 to 80, with 64 abstentions, supporting the name change. In an interview with RTI, Åberg said the move not only signifies a name change but also a desire to expand ties. She said she hopes that Sweden and Taiwan can have “normal diplomatic relations” because Taiwan deserves that.
The executive government has to approve the measure for it to become official and there is no timetable. But Åberg said it would be hard for the government to neglect this strong message from the parliament. She said she would also put pressure on the government and remind it of the will of the Swedish people. Åberg is the chair of the Swedish-Taiwanese Parliamentary Association and recently led the first delegation of Swedish parliamentarians to Taiwan.
As to whether she was afraid that China would be angered if Sweden made the name change, Åberg said, “It’s not my job to make China happy”. She said that she believes the Swedish people would want to support the democracy of Taiwan.
Åberg said that the Ukraine War has shown the world that democracies must stand up for each other and this will likely mean greater support for Taiwan in Sweden. She said the war “pushed a special button” in Sweden to show that it must leave its policy of neutrality. Åberg said that Sweden will likely vote to join NATO in the summer.