Sweden and China have different histories and traditions in the field of early childhood education. In the secondary part of the 1990s, both counties adopted national curricula for preschool. The purpose of this study is to compare the preschool education of these two countries at policy and ideological level by examining and analyzing the frameworks and content of the national curricula for preschool within their respective social, political, cultural and pedagogical contexts. The special emphasis is on the similarities and differences in the statements on goals, tasks, and pedagogy for early childhood education in the national official documents. The major result shows that both curricular are goal directed policy documents in forms of regulations or guidelines. No methods for preschool work are stated, which leaves much room for the local and individual implementation. Learning and development of the child are stressed. Play is viewed as the important means for learning of preschool children in both curricula. The Swedish curriculum emphasizes on the fundamental democratic value for preschool, and the perspectives and values of children�s learning and development. The preschool model is based on the premise that children learn and develop in all the contexts in which they are involved. The Chinese curriculum stresses both childcare and education, and the main task of preschool is to promote physical, moral and intellectual development of the child in a harmonious way. The content of educational activities that is selected and organized in a planed way is seen as important. The idea of �respecting children� has been promoted.