BEIJING, July 11 (Xinhua) -- The replica of the legendary 18th Century Swedish merchant ship "Gotheborg" is due to arrive in South China's Guangdong Province on July 17 to coincide with the arrival of Sweden's King Carl XVI Gustaf in China.

    The Gotheborg symbolized 260 years of friendly relations between Sweden and China, and would promote exchanges between the two countries, said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu Tuesday.

    The ship departed from the Swedish city of Gothenburg in October last year for China to retrace the 1745 voyage of the original three-masted East Indiaman vessel before it mysteriously sank off Sweden's coast with a cargo of Chinese porcelain, silk and tea.

    The original Gotheborg made three voyages from Gothenburg to Guangzhou between 1743 and 1745, pioneering trade between Sweden and China.

    King Carl XVI Gustaf will pay a state visit to China from July 17 to 22, at the invitation of the Chinese President Hu Jintao. Enditem