Swedish broadcaster’s comedy show on tourist spat being called "insulting China"

Attacks on programme and its presenter are the latest turn in an international incident that began when three Chinese visitors arrived at a Stockholm hostel well before check-in time

SVT comedy segment on Friday night described Chinese as racists and Zeng’s mother was mocked.

China’s embassy in Stockholm has lashed out at Sweden’s national television broadcaster, demanding an apology for “insulting China” in a comedy show referring to a controversial case involving three Chinese tourists.

The embassy said on Saturday that the Sveriges Television (SVT) programme, which was aired on Friday night, and presenter Jesper Rönndahl “spread and advocate racism and xenophobia outright”.

“SVT argued that this is an entertainment programme, an argument which is totally unacceptable and we firmly reject. We urge SVT and the programme to immediately give an apology,” the embassy said.

SVT comedy segment on Friday night described Chinese as racists and Zeng’s mother was mocked.

The attacks on Rönndahl and Swedish television are the latest twist in the case of three Chinese visitors – a couple and their adult son surnamed Zeng – who arrived at a hostel in the Swedish capital just after midnight on September 2, about 14 hours before check-in time.

The SVT comedy programme segment mocked Zeng's mother.

In a version translated into Mandarin and posted on Chinese video site Youku, Chinese were described as racists and Zeng’s mother was mocked.

The embassy also issued a fresh warning to Chinese tourists in Sweden, saying it had received reports about “theft and robbery” almost on a daily basis since April but the Swedish police had not solved a single case.

China's embassy issued a fresh warning to Chinese tourists in Sweden. Source: China’s embassy in Stockholm

See Cantonese report for more details.