Anna Lindstedt, Sweden’s Ambassador to China, was reported to have arranged “Chinese businessmen” to put pressure on a political dissident on behalf of China. She was then called back to Sweden for an investigation. The Swedish Foreign Minister, Margot Wallström, said that she was “very angry” about what Lindstedt did.
Angela Gui’s father, Gui Minhai, was held in custody in China for political reasons. Lindstedt invited Angela Gui to meet two “Chinese businessmen” who claimed that they could help with her father’s case. She went to Stockholm and met Lindstedt and the two “Chinese businessmen.” The two “Chinese businessmen” put pressure on her, representing the Chinese Communist Party’s position. They asked her to stop making public statements. One even threatened that she would never see her father again if she did not keep her mouth shut.
Angela Gui noticed that Lindstedt was helping those two “Chinese businessmen.” Lindstedt asked her to cooperate; otherwise “China might punish Sweden.”
Gui pointed out to Lindstedt that those “Chinese businessmen” were trying to control her. Lindstedt responded that she felt sorry that Gui had that thought.
Angela Gui exposed the meeting on a blog. She also inquired of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Sweden about Lindstedt’s arranging the meeting. The ministry was not aware of such a meeting and thought that Lindstedt was in Beijing. Lindstedt was later recalled.
About Gui Minhai (桂民海)
Gui Minhai, also known as Michael Gui, is a Chinese-born Swedish scholar and book publisher. He was one of the three owners of a book publishing company, Causeway Bay Books in Hong Kong, that is known for publishing politically sensitive books banned in China. He disappeared in Thailand in 2015 and later appeared on China Central Television (CCTV) in January 2016 where he admitted he was guilty of drunk driving and killing a student. Several other people connected to the publishing company also disappeared from Hong Kong around the same time and ended up in China.
Gui Minhai was released in October 2017 and stayed with his wife in a rental apartment in Ningbo, Zhejiang Province. The couple tried to leave China, but in January 2018, he was arrested again, in front of two Swedish diplomats who were accompanying him on a train to Beijing.
Sources:
1. Epoch Times, February 15, 2019
http://www.epochtimes.com/gb/19/2/15/n11048172.htm
2. Boxun, January 24, 2018
https://www.boxun.com/news/gb/intl/2018/01/201801240656.shtml
3. China Worker, February 21, 2019
https:// chinaworker.info/en/2019/02/21/19791/