She is the first Western head of government to travel to China since the beginning of the protests in Hong Kong. How Chancellor Angela Merkel would comment on the unrest in the Chinese Special Administrative Region was eagerly awaited.
In Beijing, she called for a peaceful solution to the tension in Hong Kong. She talked to Prime Minister Li Keqiang about the issue in the face of mass protests by the democracy movement, which has been going on for months, Merkel said.
The basic agreement between Great Britain and China for the transfer of the former crown colony continues to apply. Therefore, citizens in Hong Kong should be granted "rights and freedoms". In the current situation everything must be done to avoid violence. There are signs that the head of government in Hong Kong is now facilitating a dialogue. She hoped that representatives of the demonstrators could also take part "in the framework of civil liberties".
Asked if he ruled out China's military intervention, Prime Minister Li said only that the central government in Beijing would support Hong Kong's government "under the law" to end chaos and restore order. You can trust China because it has the "wisdom" for it.
The statement is interpreted as indicating that, in the event of an escalation, Beijing may seek to declare a state of emergency in the Special Administrative Region instead of sending soldiers. New demonstrations are planned for the weekend.
The opposition demands a clear line from Merkel
Earlier, the student leader Joshua Wong had appealed in an open letter to Merkel to stand up for the demonstrators in Hong Kong. In addition, he warned Merkel to do business with China, as the country does not comply with international law. The Chancellor reacted cautiously.
Members of the opposition in the Bundestag then demanded a clear line from the Chancellor. The FDP foreign policy politician Alexander Graf Lambsdorff said: "Right now, the Chancellor must emphatically urge adherence to the Sino-British declaration of 1984, the preservation of the contractually guaranteed civil rights and the respect of the principle" one country, two systems ".
Should China take violent action against the peaceful demonstrators in Hong Kong, such as Tiananmen Square in 1989, Germany would have to condemn this together with its European partners.