Grounded in a long tradition of press freedom and democracy, Sweden has been openly critical of the Chinese government’s human rights abuses since the Tiananmen Square Massacre of 1989. Those tensions were exacerbated with a period of “wolf warrior diplomacy” aimed partially at China-critical Swedish media and journalists after China detained Chinese-born Swedish bookseller Gui Minhai in 2015. Despite the deteriorating relationship, Chinese media continues to engage actively with some fringe Swedish media outlets.
