Ambassador to China Anna Lindstedt sent back to Sweden after Gui Minhai reports
- Embassy says she returned to Stockholm on Wednesday to meet foreign ministry officials
- It comes after reports emerged she was involved in arranging meeting between bookseller’s daughter and Chinese businessmen
The Swedish embassy in Beijing says its ambassador has been sent back to Stockholm after reports emerged that she was involved in arranging a meeting between Gui Minhai’s daughter and Chinese businessmen said to be trying to secure the release of the bookseller.
The embassy on Thursday said Anna Lindstedt had returned to Stockholm on Wednesday to meet Swedish foreign ministry officials.
A Swedish Ministry for Foreign Affairs spokesman said an internal investigation was under way into “information concerning incorrect action in connection with events taking place at the end of January”.
“As part of this investigation, the ambassador is currently in Stockholm for meetings with the [ministry],” the spokesman said.
In January the ministry said Lindstedt would be leaving the post in Beijing to become Sweden’s “ambassador for the 2030 Agenda”, a role promoting sustainable development goals. “Once the internal investigation has been concluded, we will return to the issue of this appointment,” the spokesman said.
The ministry statement came after Angela Gui, the daughter of detained Swedish book publisher Gui Minhai, said on Wednesday that Lindstedt had helped to arrange for her to meet the Chinese businessmen in a bid to organise a visit to see her father.