The development of the Swedish Discourse on China between 2015–2025 : A Thematic Qualitative Text Analysis of Security‑Related Themes in SwedishPolicy Documents

The purpose of this study was to examine how Sweden has described and related to China in security policy terms during the period 2015 to 2025. Through a thematic qualitative text analysis of Swedish policy and government documents, the study identified which recurring security policy themes characterize the official representations of China and how these themes change over time. Furthermore, the study analysed how these thematic approaches relate to the central criteria of securitization theory. The study also aimed to study the extent to which the securitization theory was useful to understand Sweden's view of and handling of China during the period studied. In summary, the study showed that Sweden's view of China had undergone a change during the period studied. The change could be interpreted as an indication of increased politicization and a possible movement towards securitization without meeting the criteria for full securitization according to the core criteria of the theory. The study contributed to a deeper understanding of Sweden’s changing perception and management of China as a security concern and examining the usefulness of securitization theory in this context.