UK: Wen Jiabao Arrives in the UK and Bo Xilai is Sued

According to a report by the Epoch Times, as part of his five-nation European tour, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao arrived in the UK on the 9th of May to begin his three-day visit. Aside from the high-level political and trade talks, the issue of Hong Kong will be a focal point. It is also spread widely in the media that Bo Xilai, the visiting Chinese Minister of Commerce, has been sued by UK Falun Gong practitioners.

Wen Jiabao’s eleven-day European visit is seen as a very important part in China’s strategy towards Europe. During his visits to Germany, Belgium, the EU and Italy, Wen Jiabao played his economic cards to appeal for the lift of the EU’s arms embargo towards China. But China’s human rights record makes it difficult for the EU to relax this policy at present.

Since this is Wen Jiabao’s first official visit to Europe as Chinese Premier, he became the focus of the media. But the accompanying Minister of Commerce Bo Xilai also attracted lots of attention. During his recent visit to the US, Falun Gong practitioners sued Bo Xilai in the US courts for his crimes against humanity, genocide and torture. Falun Gong practitioners also displayed special welcome and protest banners to the Chinese delegation during their first few stops on the European tour.

Just before the arrival of Wen Jiabao’s delegation to the UK, UK Falun Gong practitioners filed a lawsuit against Bo Xilai for crimes of torture and requested his arrest upon arrival in the UK. The Metropolitan Police at New Scotland Yard accepted the formal allegation made against him.