• Sweden supports China's Arctic push

China Daily said that Premier Wen Jiabao has arrived in Sweden for an official visit, aimed at further promoting bilateral ties.

On Tuesday eleven agreements were signed between the two countries in areas such as environmental protection and energy conservation, according to local media.

In a written speech upon his arrival at the airport, Wen said that the friendly exchanges between the two peoples have a time-honored history though China and Sweden are located far apart.

"I'm looking forward to meeting with Swedish leaders to jointly map out the future development of bilateral ties and exchange views on other issues of common concern," said Wen.

"We have recently intensified our cooperation in a number of areas including innovation, research and development, trade, culture and sustainable development," Sweden's Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt said in a recent written interview with Xinhua.

During the meeting with Lars Backström, governor of Sweden's Västra Götaland province, Wen said that the China-Sweden friendship dates back to nearly 300 years ago when the Swedish merchant ship "Gothenburg" arrived in China.