Even suspected hackers won't spoil the Wen-Merkel game

By Andreas Landwehr and Ulrich Scharlack Aug 27, 2007, 15:37 GMT

Beijing - China's prime minister sounds a bit like an accountant, but friendly nevertheless, when he lists the number of talks he has had with the German chancellor.

He has had no less than four personal meetings and five telephone conversations with Angela Merkel, Wen Jiabao counts at the long table in one of the many large rooms in Beijing's Great Hall of the People.

All this was a sign that the chancellor 'values the cooperation between China and Germany,' adds Wen, who as always has his hair neatly parted.

Nevertheless, the Chinese prime minister doesn't seem to feel entirely comfortable with the chancellor, which piques his interest.

'You rarely use speech notes and you like to get straight to the point,' Wen says in the hall with its thick red carpets. 'I like this style,' he adds.

His statement comes unexpectedly, because he usually exchanges only diplomatic platitudes with other guests at this stage.

Wen wants the game he opens during this visit to become 'unforgettable.'

Who will be able to surprise the other more on this day? On other occasions it has often been Merkel, who opened talks with something unusual. This time her Chinese counterpart tries to reverse the situation.

Once it is his turn he leaves it to Merkel to ask her questions first, without long introductions.

The otherwise quick-witted chancellor is baffled for a moment: 'Oh!' she says. Then she starts talking about economic relations.

Apparently, a stable working relationship has been established between the German woman and the Chinese man over the last two years, maybe even a relationship of mutual trust.

They give each other a run for their money during the subsequent press conference, but they also treat each other with respect. They have to be careful.

Wen explicitly disagrees with the opinion expressed by some that the atmosphere between Berlin and Beijing has worsened since Merkel took office.

It's just the opposite, he says. Things are moving 'forwards not backwards.'

Of course, the Chinese prime minister is asked about alleged hacker attacks by the Chinese military on German government computers.

Wen says in a serious tone that the leadership immediately 'paid great attention' to the reports.

What follows is not an admission of guilt but at least a resolute promise to 'take measures to avoid hacker attacks.'

The chancellor doesn't respond to the reports directly. She only reminds her audience that in a globalized world 'the rules of the game have to be respected,' before going on to talk not about computer espionage, but about product piracy.

Many in the delegation have been following the reports about the alleged Chinese Trojans with a hint of a smile. States that are closer to Germany than China are also attacking German government computers, it is rumoured.

Like Wen, the chancellor sweet-talks her audience in front of the heavy oil painting with the sun setting on the Chinese Wall.

She rejects a recognition of Taiwan and backs a policy of Chinese unity.

The Chinese recently got nervous that the Taiwanese might manage to achieve international recognition ahead of the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing.

They had been waiting for the chancellor's statement, and there it was - even though it only came forward in response to a question by a journalist from Chinese state radio.

Merkel's policy is to admit one thing without completely rejecting the other.

She praises China's development to remind her audience that both sides 'talk openly when they have question or concerns.'

She doesn't mention the term 'human rights' on this Monday.

However, on Tuesday she is due to meet several Chinese journalists who have already been in conflict with the authorities. Beijing sees this as a strong signal.

The list of controversial issues is here to stay - even after the chancellor's visit to the Chinese leadership.

As far as climate change is concerned 'climate ambassador' Merkel still has a long way to go.

The only thing Wen concedes in the end is that the Chinese wanted 'a blue sky, green hills and clean water' too.

Apart from that, Wen simply repeats his established position: he holds the wealthy industrial nations responsible for the greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, even though he promises more commitment on China's part from 2011.

But this is just the response Merkel had expected.