Radio Free Asia: Don't Forget Chinese Human Rights Problems When Conducting Economic Collaboration

Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao began his European trip in Germany. During the two day visit to Germany, there was an ardent atmosphere of economic collaboration. However, German human rights groups called for a reminder not forget the Chinese human rights problems when conducting economic collaboration talks.

The Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao arrived in Munich on May the 2nd. On Monday morning, upon arriving in Berlin he immediately visited a Siemens factory. Although there was an ardent atmosphere of economic collaboration in both government leaders’ talks, as well as every kind of media since Sunday, German human rights groups haven’t forgotten to remind the German Government to pay attention to China’s human rights problems. On Monday afternoon, when the Premier Wen Jiabao was busy visiting and meeting VIPs in the German economic and political circles in Berlin, German international human rights organisations and Falun Gong practitioners held appeals and information activities in several places in Berlin city centre at the same time. Law scholar Ms. Zheng Zhihong spoke to the reporters.

Economic collaboration between Germany and China is unprecedented. On Monday night at the German Premier’s residence, Wen Jiabao signed a series of cooperation agreements with large German companies such as Infineon, Siemens, Bayer, Degussa and so on. Meanwhile, Daimler-Benz AG and Lufthansa German Airlines also hope their special projects in China can be pushed through.

According to comments by local media, politics is an issue that Germany and China cannot help but talk about. Gerhard Schroeder always uses “national talks between the nomocracy, China and Germany, started in 1999”, to boggle the censures regarding Chinese human rights from all walks of life. China, however, uses economic matters as bait to persuade Germany to work towards lifting the weapon embargo from China by the European Union.

The above is a report by RFA special correspondent Tian Yi.