MEPs Jonas Sjöstedt and Hanna Gedin (The Left) have submitted a written parliamentary question to the European Commission demanding details on EU efforts to secure the release of Swedish publisher and EU citizen Gui Minhai, who has been imprisoned in China since 2015. The question, filed on 23 April 2026, targets the Commission and the European External Action Service (EEAS), asking what dialogue has taken place with Chinese authorities and what further actions are being taken to ensure his release.
The question references a European Parliament resolution adopted on 9 October 2025, in which 546 out of 593 MEPs voted to urge China to release Gui Minhai. The MEPs are now seeking concrete follow-up on that demand.
Gui Minhai was abducted in Thailand on 17 October 2015 by presumed Chinese intelligence agents and later sentenced to 10 years in prison for 'illegally providing intelligence overseas'. According to the MEPs, he has been denied consular access, independent medical care, and contact with family and legal representatives, in violation of the Vienna Convention.
first, to report on the content of any dialogue with Chinese authorities regarding Parliament's demand; second, to outline further actions being taken by the Commission, EEAS, and Member States to secure his release.
The MEPs are pushing for stronger EU diplomatic pressure on China, prioritising human rights and consular obligations over trade or geopolitical considerations. The question signals a cleavage between EU values (rule of law, consular rights) and pragmatic relations with China.
The Commission must reply within approximately six weeks. The answer will indicate whether the EU has raised the case at senior levels and whether any concrete measures (e.g., sanctions, demarches) are being considered.