Sweden Summons Chinese Envoy Over ‘Lightweight Boxer’ Remark

China's ambassador to Sweden Gui Congyou speaks to the media in Stockholm, Sweden on Nov. 15, 2019. - China on Nov. 15 threatened "counter-measures" against Sweden if the culture minister awards a Swedish PEN rights prize as planned to detained Chinese-Swedish book publisher Gui Minhai. Jonas Ekstromer/TT News Agency/AFP via Getty Images

HELSINKI—Sweden’s government summoned the Chinese ambassador in Stockholm to discuss his comments on Jan. 18 that compared Swedish media coverage of China to a lightweight boxer who “provokes a feud” with a heavyweight.

Chinese Ambassador Gui Congyou used the boxing metaphor while speaking with Swedish public broadcaster SVT. Swedish Foreign Minister Ann Linde on Saturday called the envoy’s statement an “unacceptable threat.”