China denies it met daughter of detained bookseller Gui Minhai and offered her a visa in exchange for her silence
- Angela Gui told Swedish newspaper Svenska Dagbladet self-professed intermediaries for Chinese authorities met her in late January in Stockholm
- Chinese embassy in Sweden said it had authorised nobody to engage with her and that her father’s case was being handled in accordance with the law
China has denied meeting the daughter of detained Hong Kong bookshop owner and publisher Gui Minhai, after she claimed that neutral intermediaries purporting to work on behalf of Chinese authorities tried to “silence her” in exchange for a visa to the country.
Angela Gui told Swedish newspaper Svenska Dagbladet that the self-professed representatives had met her in late January in Stockholm, the country’s capital. They introduced themselves as intermediaries who had talked to and received information directly from China’s ambassador to Sweden, Gui Congyou.
Angela Gui said she was told her father could be released in the future but that he had to first be tried in court. The representatives also promised to arrange a visa for her to enter China, but only if she “kept quiet” and ensured the case got no media attention, the paper reported.
She declined to reveal how many people took part in the meeting or where in Stockholm it was held.
The Chinese embassy in Sweden released a statement on Wednesday denying her claims.