SVT News's responsible publisher: "That several editors have now chosen to break the silence about China's attack is important"

This is a direct consequence of SVT Nyheter's important publication, where we told about the many pressures from the embassy against Swedish news editions.

However, this is not the first time the ambassador has been called to a meeting at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. SVT has previously reported that this has happened about 40 times. Ambassador Gui Congyou himself is content to claim that he has had at least 60 meetings at various levels within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The new thing is that this meeting was called to be completely open and not surrounded by the hush-hush that is customary in diplomatic contexts. In addition, three parliamentary parties (V, KD and SD) have now made it clear that they want to explain the ambassador persona enough grate.

SVT's review has received considerable attention in Swedish media and has also been cited abroad. The news has also been picked up by the South China Morning Post, the New York Times and by the AP News Agency.

One explanation for the impact is the remarkable imagery from the ambassador's side, where he compares Swedish media with lightweight boxers who, without knowing their place, choose to muck up with the heavyweight boxer China. The turnaround has caused tanned publics and diplomats to raise their eyebrows.

Another explanation for the attention is that several large Swedish editors have chosen to tell about these printing attempts. SVT's publication is based on a survey of eight editors (SVT News is one of them), which six editors have chosen to answer. Svenska Dagbladet, Expressen, Sveriges Radio and Sveriges Television have all testified about influence attempts. After SVT's publication, TT also told the same thing.

China's official line is that foreign journalists are welcome, so that they can report on how ordinary people in the country are. But towards the Express, which has reported a lot about imprisoned publisher Gui Minhai, the embassy shows a different face. The Express has been denied entry visa for a reporter, citing that the newspaper reported on China in a manner deemed unfavorable.

Editors who choose to tell about the printing attempts know that they are thus risking their journalist visas and thus the opportunity to report on the spot from China. But that several editors have now chosen to break the silence is important. And whatever an ambassador may believe - openness and journalistic integrity, in the long run, weigh very heavily, even against well-built sluggers.