On Friday, October 4, the Washington-based defense policy think tank, The Jamestown Foundation, released a report revealing that there are at least 103 organizations in Sweden affiliated with the Chinese Communist Party’s “United Front” system. These organizations are spread across various sectors in Sweden including culture, business, politics, and education.
The Swedish television channel TV4, on Tuesday, October 1, in its well-known investigative program “Kalla Fakta” (Swedish for “Cold Facts”), exposed a list of “Chinese Communist agents” in Sweden, which includes a Chinese professor at Stockholm University.
This list includes 233 individuals in Europe linked to the Chinese Communist United Front system, with 17 of them in Sweden. These are just a small fraction of individuals and organizations in Sweden connected to the Chinese Communist United Front system.
Experts and journalists from seven countries collaborating with “Kalla Fakta” confirmed the authenticity of the 233 names on the list.
Peter Mattis, the CEO of The Jamestown Foundation and former CIA analyst, stated that “the list is indeed accurate, as almost every name can be confirmed to have ties to the [Chinese Communist] United Front system.”
The United Front Work Department of the Chinese Communist Party is considered an entity responsible for comprehensive overseas infiltration, espionage activities such as initiating and managing the Communist Party’s “external propaganda,” suppressing dissidents, and co-opting groups in Western countries to align with the Chinese Communist Party’s directives. The United Front Department is also regarded as a crucial tool for influencing domestic affairs in China.
Emil Hellerud, the journalist from the “Kalla Fakta” program, mentioned that this involves some journalists who hold leadership or operational roles in the media serving the overseas Chinese community, with many such media outlets. He added that these Chinese language media outlets pledge allegiance to the Chinese Communist regime, promoting its agenda, although their links to the United Front contact list were not widely known.
The program team communicated with the Swedish Minister of Justice and Minister of Education, who expressed a “serious concern” regarding the revelations.
The investigative program interviewed Professor Tony Fang at Stockholm University, a central figure in the report. Fang responded via email to “Kalla Fakta,” stating, “I have not been involved, will not be involved, and will never be involved in the [Chinese Communist] United Front.”
The investigation exposed that Tony Fang has continuously authored debate articles favorable to the Chinese authoritarian regime in Sweden’s largest daily newspaper over the past 15 years. For example, he advocated for Chinese government investment in Swedish enterprises, describing the Chinese regime as a “combination of democracy and dictatorship,” and once suggested that Sweden should distance itself from NATO.
“Kalla Fakta” verified that while holding university positions, Tony Fang also served in multiple official capacities for the Chinese Communist Party, including as a consultant for the Overseas Chinese Affairs Office of the State Council’s overseas expert advisory committee, a part of the so-called United Front system. He also served as a local representative for the Guangdong Province and Guangzhou Municipal Committees of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (PPCC) and as an advisor to the Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese in China (FROC), another component of the United Front system.
Fang admitted to holding these roles, attributing it to research involvement. However, Mattis expressed skepticism towards Fang’s explanation, highlighting that the United Front system aims to politically mobilize individuals to support the Chinese Communist Party. Mattis emphasized that whether actions taken in response to the Chinese Communist Party’s calls constitute illegal activities would ultimately be judged by law enforcement, with prosecutors determining if illegal actions indeed took place.
Recently, the German broadcasting company RTL also reported on 47 “Chinese Communist agents” in Germany.
The report stated that these individuals are contact persons for the Chinese Communist United Front Department, with some individuals on the list having connections to the German federal political sphere, as evidenced by photos showing federal cabinet members together with individuals on the list.
The Jamestown Foundation’s report also revealed how the Chinese Communist United Front organization has been infiltrating Sweden in areas such as culture, economy, and education.
In the cultural realm, United Front organizations promote culturally accepted by China through events held in Sweden and exchanges with Sweden. For instance, the China-Europe Cultural Association and the Chinese Artists Association in Sweden collaborated with over a hundred museums, theaters, galleries, libraries, and cultural institutions to host the 2023 Stockholm Culture Night.
Economically, United Front organizations in Sweden facilitate connections between Swedish enterprises and Chinese institutions. For example, in September 2024, the Swedish Chamber of Commerce in China (KHIS) and the Sweden-China Trade Council (SCTC) jointly organized the Shenzhen Luohu-Sweden Green Economic and Trade Cooperation Exchange, connecting the Luohu delegation with SCTC, which includes over a hundred members such as IKEA and Volvo.
The report indicated that these organizations also assist with technology transfer for China. For instance, Zhang Qiaozhen, the head of the Sweden-China Entrepreneur Association and the North Europe Innovation Center, opened the doors in Shenzhen for Ulf Borbos, the vice chairman of the China-Sweden International Technology Transfer Center. Borbos stated that his work involves “bringing Swedish incubated companies to Shenzhen and other cities in China” (North Europe Green Post, September 17, 2023).
These United Front groups also engage in “big external propaganda” activities in Sweden under the guise of Chinese community organizations. In August 2022, after then-Speaker of the US House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan, 20 organizations issued a joint statement expressing strong indignation and harsh condemnation towards Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan (North Europe Green Post, August 6, 2022).
European countries, following the lead of the United States and other allies, have taken a firm stance against China’s overseas infiltration activities.
Sweden was the first Western country to establish diplomatic relations with Beijing after the Chinese Communist Party’s establishment and the first to sign a bilateral investment protection agreement with Beijing after China’s “reform and opening up.” However, Sweden’s attitude towards China has been shifting.
In April this year, the Swedish government expelled a Chinese female journalist, Chen Xuefei, accusing her of posing a threat to national security. She was the president of the China-Europe Cultural Association and the chairperson of the Swedish Green Post, with most of her media reports coming directly from collaborations with Chinese official and party media, with vested interests. Additionally, she had close ties with a Chinese intelligence officer.