BEIJING (AP) — Sweden has condemned China’s “brutal” detention of Swedish citizen Gui Minhai, escalating a standoff sparked two weeks ago when Chinese agents seized the Hong Kong-based bookseller as he was traveling with Swedish diplomats.
BEIJING (AP) — Sweden has condemned China’s “brutal” detention of Swedish citizen Gui Minhai, escalating a standoff sparked two weeks ago when Chinese agents seized the Hong Kong-based bookseller as he was traveling with Swedish diplomats.
In a sharply worded statement Monday, Foreign Minister Margot Wallstrom questioned the rule of law in China and characterized Gui’s detention on Jan. 20 on a Chinese train as “contrary to basic international rules on consular support.” She demanded that China disclose Gui’s whereabouts and his alleged crime.
“The brutal intervention in January against a Swedish support measure was implemented despite Chinese repeated assurances that Gui Minhai was a free man at the time,” Wallstrom said.
Hours later, on Tuesday, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang hit back at Sweden for “irresponsible” comments and told reporters at a regular briefing that Gui was being held lawfully under “coercive measures,” without giving details. The term is a euphemism for detention.
Wallstrom’s statement marks a tougher stance from Sweden two weeks after 10 Chinese security agents seized Gui as he traveled to Beijing accompanied by two consular officials to seek medical treatment. Stockholm’s initial silence over the incident drew criticism from activists and the media in Sweden and beyond.
