Chinese firms show zeal for stakes in Swedish businesses

BEIJING - Chinese companies are showing greater appetite for purchasing equity stakes in Swedish-owned companies, rather than investing in start-up projects, said a Swedish investment official.

More than 200 Chinese companies have invested in Sweden in the past 10 years, but large-scale equity transfer has become the new trend, Eddie Chen, vice-president of Investment Sweden, the country's official investment promotions agency, said in an interview with China Daily.

"International businesses, products and technology are all trying to connect with the Chinese market after the financial crisis and more comprehensive, equity and technology partnerships have become a model," he said.