Chinese dissidents travel to German book fair

Sep 11, 2009, 4:26 GMT

   Beijing - A Chinese dissident writer traveled to the Frankfurt Book Fair Friday despite organizers revoking her invitation due to pressure from Beijing.

   Journalist Dai Qing boarded a plane to Frankfurt after being forced to buy a new ticket at the last minute. Her previously booked ticket had been mysteriously cancelled despite several checks with the travel agency, she said.

   'They tried so hard to keep me from going to Frankfurt,' the 68-year-old told the German Press Agency dpa via phone from the airport.

   Organizers of the world's largest book fair confirmed Thursday they had banned two Chinese authors, Dai and Bei Ling, from a symposium in Germany this weekend, but the dissidents said they would go to Frankfurt anyway.

   It remains unclear in what capacity the two dissidents are to take part in the forum.

   Beijing earlier objected to the two being invited to China and the World, a conference on Saturday and Sunday in the run-up to the October 14-18 Frankfurt Book Fair and the official Chinese participants threatened to boycott the event.

   The revocation of the dissident's invitations triggered fierce criticism in Germany, where the organizers were accused of bowing to China's censorship.