China threatened to retaliate if Sweden awarded the award to Gui Minhai, the bookstore owner was arrested by China on charges of spreading false information.

"China resolutely opposes PEN Sweden awarding a prize to a criminal and a liar. We will be more resolutely opposed to Swedish government officials participating in the award ceremony," Ambassador Trung said. Quoc in Sweden Gui Congyou said in a statement posted on November 15 on the embassy's website.

Swedish Culture and Democratic Minister Amanda Lind plans to award the Tucholsky Prize of the Center for Poets, Essays and Novels (PEN) to Gui Minhai, a Hong Kong bookstore owner arrested by China in October. 2017. Relations between Sweden and China in recent years have been tense because Gui Minhai, a Swedish citizen born in China.

The Chinese ambassador said Gui Minhai spread "lies and cruel attacks" to the Chinese government. Mr. Gui Congyou stated that China supports freedom of speech but "must be based on objective truth, not on freedom of lies".

"We will certainly take a countermeasure. Some Swedes should not expect comfort after hurting people's emotions and harming Chinese interests. cooperation will be severely hindered, "said Ambassador Gui Congyou.

Minister Amanda Lind called China's statement a serious threat and demanded it release Gui Minhai. "Sweden's PEN organization is entitled to award prizes to anyone they want without any influence. As the Minister of Culture and Democracy, it's natural for me to attend the awards ceremony. "Lind said.

Gui Minhai specializes in publishing publications containing rumors about Chinese politicians and releasing them at a bookstore in Hong Kong.

Gui Minhai disappeared while on holiday in Thailand in 2015. A few months later Gui Minhai appeared on Chinese television, confessing to driving while drunk and causing a fatal accident more than 10 years ago.

Gui Minhai received a two-year sentence and was released in July 2017. Three months later Gui Minhai was arrested for traveling with Swedish diplomats on a train to Beijing.

The Tucholsky Prize, established in 1984, is named after German writer Kurt Tucholsky, who went to Sweden asylum in the early 1930s to avoid Nazi pursuits. The prize of USD 15,500 is awarded annually.