We have been informed of the detention by Chinese authorities of Mr Gui Minhai, a Swedish citizen, who was at the time receiving consular assistance from the Swedish authorities, as provided for in the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations.

The European Union has raised Mr Gui’s case with the Chinese authorities and publicly on a number of occasions, most notably in January 2016 when the European Union had demanded clarifications on the disappearance and the status of Mr Gui, as well as four other Hong Kong residents associated with the Mighty Current publishing house.

The European Union fully supports the public statement and efforts of the Swedish government. We expect the Chinese authorities to immediately release Mr Gui from detention, allow him to reunite with his family and to receive consular and medical support in line with his rights.