The German government on Friday tried to play down a diplomatic row with China sparked by the Dalai Lama’s visit to Berlin, after China cancelled a trip to Beijing by Germany’s finance minister.
The finance ministry said late Thursday that Peer Steinbrueck’s visit set for next month was called off due to the “very busy schedule” of China’s new finance minister, Xie Xuren.
But German media quoted diplomats as saying the real reason was lingering Chinese anger at Chancellor Angela Merkel’s meeting with the exiled Tibetan leader in Berlin in September.
China strongly protested over the first meeting between a German chancellor and the Dalai Lama, warning it would disrupt relations.
The fallout from the visit was blamed for China’s withdrawal from a planned meeting of world powers on the Iranian nuclear crisis in Berlin in October, forcing its cancellation.
It also axed an annual event scheduled for December in Beijing to discuss human rights.
While German government spokesman Thomas Steg refused to link the cancellation of Steinbrueck’s visit to the Dalai Lama’s trip, he conceded that the countries differed over the Tibetan leader.
“There is no doubt that the two governments have different views of the Dalai Lama, but the chancellor is absolutely convinced that the fact that we have common interests and a good basis for relations will prevail.”
China last week urged Germany to take responsibility for repairing ties.
Foreign ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao said “some difficulties” had emerged in the relationship between the two countries due to Merkel’s meeting with the Dalai Lama.
“We hope Germany can take concrete steps to remove the negative impact of its erroneous act so that bilateral relations can move forward on a rapid and sound track,” he said.
In rare public criticism of his predecessor, former chancellor Gerhard Schroeder said Merkel had made a “mistake” in meeting the Dalai Lama.
“Some recent situations have hurt Chinese people’s feelings, and I regret it. I am not happy with some of our government’s recent moves,” Schroeder said in a seminar in China, according to the state-run China Daily newspaper.
Merkel has taken a tough stance on human rights in China, raising the issue with Chinese officials during her visit to the country in August.
German media expressed alarm at the new strain in relations.
Die Welt newspaper carried a front-page picture of the cover of Chinese magazine Liaowang which had unflattering photograph of Merkel above the headline “The Mysteries of Merkel’s China Policy.”
An editorial in Die Welt warned that “anyone now allowing themselves to be intimidated by these unfriendly tones will only encourage Beijing to be more aggressive in its foreign policy in future.”
Financial Times Deutschland said relations between the two countries were heading for “a diplomatic ice age”.
China is Germany’s biggest trade partner in the Asia-Pacific region.
The rapidly growing Chinese economy is set to overtake Germany as the world’s third largest by the end of 2007.
The Berlin trip was just one of several recent encounters between the Dalai Lama and world leaders that have enraged China, including a meeting with US President George W. Bush.
China, which has ruled Tibet since sending in troops in 1950, accuses the Dalai Lama of fuelling a separatist movement.
Human rights groups accuse China of maintaining a repressive rule over the Himalayan region, and say monks or other people who express support for the Dalai Lama are routinely beaten or jailed.
The Dalai Lama, who fled his homeland in 1959 following a failed uprising, insists he wants autonomy for Tibet rather than independen
