Beijing is demanding an apology from the Swedish government for violating human rights and for "brutal abuse" after footage emerged of Chinese tourists allegedly being thrown out of a hotel by police in Stockholm.

A Chinese man and his parents arrived at the hotel at midnight, hours before their booking would allow them to check in. Their demands to stay in the lobby were refused, leading to the police stepping in.

Video footage circulating online shows police carrying the tourists outside, with the son yelling in English: "This is killing. This is killing." The mother, lying on the ground, is wailing and cries in Chinese: "Save me."

The Chinese embassy in Sweden asked the Swedish government to investigate and to issue an apology. The embassy said it was "deeply appalled and angered by what happened and strongly condemns the behavior of the Swedish police".

It also said the police actions "severely endangered the life and violated the basic human rights of the Chinese citizens".

"We again urge Sweden to take China’s concerns seriously, and to take practical measures to protect the security and legitimate interests of Chinese tourists," said Geng Shuang, a foreign ministry spokesman, on Monday. 

The incident comes at a time when the relationship between China and Sweden has been strained. The Dalai Lama, the Tibetan spiritual leader considered by Beijing to be a violent separatist, visited Sweden last week. China has also had in custody Gui Minhai, a Swedish Hong Kong-based bookseller, since 2015 when he was abducted in Thailand. 

The Chinese tourist, known by his surname Zeng, told state media that he had asked the hotel to allow his elderly parents to stay in the lobby until their room was available.

The hotel staff refused to let them do so, and called the police. Upon arrival, Mr Zeng said the police dragged his father from the sofa and pushed him to the ground. State media reports also say the three were then forced into a police car and dropped near a cemetery outside of downtown Stockholm. 

Gui Congyou, the Chinese ambassador to Sweden, told Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet that Mr Zeng’s father had bruises "after being brutally treated by the police," and that such treatment was uncalled for as the trio hadn’t broken any Swedish laws.