Consulate-General of Sweden

Consulate General of the Kingdom of Sweden

Room 2501, 25, Bank Of East Asia Harbour View Centre, 56 Gloucester Rd, Wan Chai

At the Consulate of Sweden in Hong Kong, I had the opportunity to meet with the Consul General Mr. Per Augustsson. Mr. Augustsson has a wealth of experience working as a diplomat, in 5 different countries around the world. He became a diplomat after finishing his law studies, after one of his friends convinced him to apply to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Mr. Augustsson gave us some brilliant advice to those interested in working as a diplomat: learn as many languages as possible. He told us being a polyglot allows you to network with others with ease and also makes you a more positive and exciting person to talk to. 

In regards to Sweden’s presence in HK, the Consulate's main mission is to promote Swedish culture and trade as well as to assist Swedish companies and their citizens. There are quite a few Swedish companies with a presence in Hong Kong, roughly 150 to 200 different companies. These companies range from big corporations like Volvo, IKEA, H&M, and Ericsson to also smaller ones that deal in the electronic and retail industries. The Consulate estimates that there are around 1,200 Swedish citizens currently living in Hong Kong. During pre-covid times there was also a lot of trade between Sweden and HK. Sweden exports a lot of medicine and medical supplies to Hong Kong, while Hong Kong exports mainly computers and other tech products back to Sweden. The Consulate is also located next to the Swedish Chamber of Commerce with whom they work closely with. Sweden also used to hold many exhibitions promoting Swedish culture and traditions, yet due to the pandemic, they have not had one in a couple of years. The consulate looks forward to the end of the pandemic when business and tourism can fully resume.

We thank Mr. Augustsson and the Consulate for their time, and we hope to see them again in the future!