Karlsson, who won last year's World Cup at Mission Hills with his partner Henrik Stenson, topped the 2008 European Order of Merit but he has been forced to miss a large chunk of this season because of a persistent eye problem.
The Swede has slipped to 25 in the world rankings but comes into this tournament on a high after finishing runner-up at the Dunlop Phoenix in Japan on Sunday.
"I was out four months, from the last week of May until (September's) Seve Trophy," he said, adding that his eyesight was now returning to normal.
Karlsson said despite an extended break with his family in Sweden, he would rather have been out on the golf course.
"But it's great now to be back and playing, and obviously coming into this event, felt great to play good last week. So (I'm) coming in here with a bit more confidence than before."
"When I use both eyes now and read the lines and things like that, it works fine, no problem. But if I just look in one eye, there is a slight difference but I hope it's going to keep improving," Karlsson added.
"And I guess I will check it up regularly and sort of keep an eye on it - keep both eyes on it."
World number seven Stenson said the field was stronger this year at Mission Hills.
"It feels like you could find the winners among 10, 12, 14 teams, something like that, most likely, and I guess there's a few more teams involved than before, and some other countries are also stronger than they have been before.
"So it's going to take some great playing to win."
As well as Sweden, other fancied teams include Ireland, England and last year's runners-up Spain.
Twenty-eight nations will battle for the Omega Mission Hills World Cup near Shenzhen in southern China in the 5.5-million-dollar strokeplay team event.
It is a 72-hole event with each team comprising two players.
The first and third days are fourball, in which four balls are used and the player with the fewest shots takes the hole for their team. The second and final days involve foursomes play, where the teams compete using only one ball per pair.
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