In early September a family of Chinese tourists in
Sweden were forcibly removed from a hotel lobby by Sweden police. They had arrived a day early and had refused to leave the lobby when asked to do so. While their refusal to leave may have warranted ejection, the way the police handled it was described as “brutal.” Popular among Chinese social media, the video of this event attracted millions of views and thousands of mixed replies. In response, the Chinese embassy Sweden requested a formal apology because the police actions had “violated basic human rights of the Chinese people there.”
The feud has not stopped since there. A popular satirical Swedish TV show has aired a comedy sketch since then saying that Chinese people would be beaten if they misbehaved. They also comment on Chinese people and eating dogs. Youku, which is the most popular Chinese streaming platform, has again spread this Swedish video sketch. Millions of Chinese people reacted to this video expressing its maliciousness. The Chinese government mirrors their outrage in the following quote, “This amounts to a gross insult and vicious attack on China and the Chinese people,” foreign ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang said.
While the ordeal may seem trivial at first glance, there are a multitude of underpinnings needed to be examined in order to assess the entire situation. There have been multiple of news stories showing less than amiable relationships between Sweden and China in the past year and a half. The seizing of bookseller Gui Minhai and the ordeal of the Dalai Lama are just two of these.
While feuds like these happen between countries happen from time to time, the ramifications for other countries in this situation has to be recognized. The tension continues to escalate exponentially and the question of the necessitation of external involvement is beginning to be asked.
Sources: BBC.com