Swedish envoy to Beijing recalled over Gui meetings

STOCKHOLM: Sweden's ambassador to Beijing has been recalled after claims she brokered an unauthorised meeting over the fate of detained Chinese-Swedish bookseller Gui Minhai, Stockholm said Thursday.

The Hong Kong-based dissident, known for publishing gossipy titles about Chinese political leaders, disappeared in 2015 before resurfacing in mainland China. He was arrested on a train to Beijing in January last year while travelling with two Swedish diplomats.

In an online post this week, Britain-based Angela Gui said ambassador Anna Lindstedt had arranged for her to travel to Stockholm to meet businessmen "with connections to the Chinese Communist Party", who claimed they could help negotiate her father´s release.

The Swedish foreign ministry admitted Thursday it knew nothing about the meetings until after they had taken place -- and was not even aware Lindstedt was in Sweden at the time.