It is exactly ten years since Gui Minhai disappeared during a vacation trip in Thailand. The Chinese-Swedish publisher has since then, with the exception of a few months in 2017, been imprisoned in China. In 2020, he was sentenced to ten years in prison, accused of having "provided foreign power with intelligence".
Out of consideration for the work with Gui Minhai, I do not go into exactly what was said from the Chinese side. But it is clear that this has been and continues to be a major obstacle in our relationship between China and Sweden, says Malmer Stenergard.
During the meeting with China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi, the Foreign Minister also received information that China will grant Swedish citizens visa-free travel, meaning that they will not need to apply for a visa for shorter stays.
It is very positive. It is something that companies have requested and that facilitates their operations in China, it is something that means an administrative problem today.
It is still unclear when the visa-free travel will come into effect.
The last time a Swedish Foreign Minister was in China to meet his counterpart was in 2014. Then it was Carl Bildt (The Moderate Party) who was Sweden's representative.
