Asia-Pacific News
Wen Jiabao shoe-thrower German national, say British authorities
Feb 6, 2009, 14:07 GMT
London - A 27-year-old man charged with hurling a shoe at Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao at Cambridge University earlier this week is a German national, Britain's Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said Friday.
The protestor, a graduate student at the university's Department of Pathology, has been charged with committing a public order offence and is due to appear at Cambridge Magistrate's Court next Tuesday.
The shoe was thrown at Wen, accompanied by shouts of 'dictator,' as he gave a speech on the global economy at the renowned university Monday. Witnesses said the shoe landed about a metre away from him.
The premier, who was on a three-day visit to Britain, described the incident as 'despicable,' and the Foreign Ministry in Beijing condemned the incident which would, however, not harm Anglo-Chinese relations.
The protest was similar to an event in December when former US President George W Bush was forced to duck to avoid shoes thrown at him by an Iraqi journalist at a press conference in Baghdad.
COMMENT
blog comments powered by DisqusLatest Headlines in Asia-Pacific
- 1. Chinese dissidents hail late democracy activist Fang Lizhi
- 2. China "worried" over planned North Korea rocket launch
- 3. Myanmar's opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi meets Karen rebels
- 4. Chinese schoolboy sells kidney to buy iPad, iPhone
- 5. Myanmar president invites Karen rebels to form party
Older Talkback
page: 1
Throw shoes at Wen Jiabao !
Beat down Hu and Wen!
neomaoist
page: 1
VelFeb 8th, 2009 - 06:17:48
You just aren't a world superpower if a shoe isn't thrown at you.
Report this comment