The program leader Jesper Ronndahl

STOCKHOLM - The Chinese Embassy in Stockholm on Saturday strongly criticized the Swedish Television SVT for insulting China in its news program.

On Friday evening, "the SVT broadcast a Swedish news program which outrageously insulted China. The program leader Jesper Ronndahl made comments that amount to a gross insult to and a vicious attack on China and the Chinese people. We strongly condemn it, and have lodged a strong protest to SVT," the Chinese embassy said through its spokesperson on Saturday.

The SVT program and Ronndahl spread and advocated racism and xenophobia outright, and openly provoked and instigated racial hatred and confrontation targeting China and some other ethnic groups, the embassy said.

"The program also referred to a wrong map of China where China's Taiwan province and some parts of the Tibet region were missing, which severely infringes on China's sovereignty and territorial integrity," the embassy added.

"The program breaks the basic moral principles of mankind, and gravely challenges human conscience and is a serious violation of media professional ethics. To think that such things could happen in Sweden, an advocate of ethnic equality!" the embassy said.

"Relevant program staff from SVT argued that this is an entertainment program, an argument which is totally unacceptable and we firmly reject. We urge SVT and the program to immediately give an apology. We reserve the rights to take further actions," the embassy added.