Sweden’s King Carl XVI Gustaf pulls out of a trip to mainland China and Hong Kong as Stockholm presses for release of detained bookseller Gui Minhai

King needs to stay at home as country is in the process of forming new government, Royal Court says

But Swedish broadcaster quoted unnamed sources as saying he cancelled trip due to ‘complicated ongoing negotiations’ over Gui

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King Carl XVI Gustaf had been due to join the Royal Technology Mission. Photo: AFP

Published: 10:45pm, 26 Nov 2018Updated: 5:44am, 1 May 2020

Sweden’s King Carl XVI Gustaf has pulled out of a trip to mainland China and Hong Kong this month, at a time when the Nordic country has been pressing Beijing to release its citizen, Causeway Bay bookseller Gui Minhai, who went missing in 2015 and later appeared in custody.

The king’s last-minute cancellation raised speculation that he was trying to exert pressure on the Chinese government over the release of the detained publisher.

But the Swedish Royal Court said the king needed to stay at home because the country was in the process of forming a new government.

Swedish broadcaster SVT quoted unnamed sources as saying on Saturday that the king had cancelled the trip due to “complicated ongoing negotiations” over Gui that had entered a “critical” moment.

Mainland authorities said they had detained Gui Minhai on suspicion that he leaked state secrets abroad. Photo: Simon Song

The sources said Carl Gustaf, who had been due to join the Royal Technology Mission, would consider visiting China in the future if Gui were freed or if negotiations for his release had shown progress.