Chinese president visits Sweden to salute ship

GOTHENBURG, Sweden, June 9 (Reuters) Swedish politicians and pop stars joined China's President Hu Jintao and Sweden's King Carl Gustav today in welcoming back a replica of the ill-fated 18th century cargo ship Gotheborg from a two-year voyage to China.

The new Gotheborg -- part goodwill ambassador, part promotional tool for sponsors such as truck maker Volvo hungry for a piece of the huge Chinese market -- set off from Sweden's west coast in 2005 on the same route as its forebear, which sank mysteriously within sight of its home port in 1745.

''Sailing more than halfway around the world, the new Gotheborg has built a bridge of friendship linking our two peoples,'' Hu said in a speech from the ship.

The 47-metre 70 million dollars Gotheborg prompted Hu to make the first Chinese state visit to Sweden after talks with Group of Eight leaders in Germany.

''Using our common history we have created good conditions for improving our contacts in the future,'' said Goran Bengtsson, head of the Swedish East India Company which has run the project.

Hu's visit drew protests by Amnesty International and practitioners of the Falun Gong spiritual movement banned by China.

Thirteen members of the Swedish Academy, the institution that awards the Nobel Prize in literature, also urged Hu in a newspaper opinion piece to improve human rights and freedom of speech in China.

Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt will raise human rights with Hu tomorrow in talks that will also cover climate change and bilateral economic matters, his press secretary Oscar Hallen said.

Hu also toured Gothenburg-based Volvo, which is in talks with Nissan to take over Nissan's stake in a vehicle venture co-owned by China's No 3 auto maker Dongfeng.

REUTERS RJ RK2300