Chinese authorities reportedly tried to persuade the Finnish Embassy in Beijing to cancel its annual Rainbow Run, an event organised to promote diversity and inclusion, Finnish media Yle reports.
According to Finnish public broadcaster Yle, a person identifying themselves as a member of China’s Public Security Bureau contacted a Finnish diplomat and a local Chinese employee at the embassy the day before the event.
The caller reportedly asked the embassy to cancel the run, saying it was “contrary to Chinese culture” and referring to complaints from parents about its possible influence on children.
The Rainbow Run is organised by the Finnish Embassy as part of Beijing Diversity Week, which supports sexual and gender minorities. The event has been held since 2024 and is attended by diplomats.
The run went ahead as planned on 28 May.
Participants later reported a stronger police presence around the embassy than usual. Parts of the planned route had been blocked, and several diplomats said they were followed and photographed by plainclothes police officers.
“Even though there was no violence, it constitutes a violation of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Immunity,” an anonymous European diplomat serving in Beijing told Radio France Internationale (RFI).
A spokesperson for Finland’s Ministry for Foreign Affairs told Yle that the matter is being handled through diplomatic channels with China.
