Human rights? Didn't hear you, smiles Wen in Berlin

By Jean-Baptiste Piggin Jun 28, 2011, 14:54 GMT

Berlin - When German Chancellor Angela Merkel began to berate China's human rights record in front of the world media in Berlin Tuesday, Chinese leader Wen Jiabao just shook his head and indicated he wasn't getting the message.

He had been standing alongside the chancellor, listening over a headset as a simultaneous interpreter translated Merkel's remarks from German to Chinese with a delay of a few seconds.

Five minutes into the news conference, Merkel arrived at topic of human rights. She welcomed Beijing's release a few days ago of artist Ai Weiwei and dissident Hu Jia, saying, 'It's important that a transparent trial of Ai Weiwei takes place.'

As she went on to criticize Chinese restrictions on journalists, Wen reached up to his left ear and pulled out the German-provided earpiece and shook his head, as if to show it was not working.

The chancellor immediately stopped dead. Adopting her most patient smile, she waited in silence while Prime Minister Wen fiddled with the headset for nearly half a minute, then put it back over his ear.

There was no immediate indication whether the breakdown was technical, or a diplomatic feint by Wen, as some journalists thought.

'We want journalists in China to have the right working conditions so they can report fairly and properly,' Merkel then resumed.

Wen again yanked out his earpiece and looked at it in calm bemusement.

Merkel's smile became frosty and she cast a questioning glance at the interpreters, who defended themselves with gestures. An official muttered that Wen's headset might be tuned to a wrong radio channel.

This time, Merkel ordered her spokesman Steffen Seibert to give the prime minister his own headset, and said, 'Okay? Okay?' to Wen.

After this interruption had lasted 20 seconds, Merkel resumed speaking, saying the 40th anniversary of German-Chinese diplomatic relations was coming up. This time, Wen beamed a broad smile, and the breakdown in communications was over.

Officials were initially unable to explain the mix-up. The German interpreting did in fact unexpectedly switch channels later in the news conference, leaving Merkel without a translation for a few seconds.

Her interpreter then said, 'Can you hear me?' and Merkel nodded back.

In the past, China has regularly rejected comments about human-rights breaches as interference in its internal affairs and has said it will not be lectured to.

Wen only briefly alluded to the rights issue, saying 'There are difference between (the two countries') history, cultures, political systems. On top of that, we are at different stages of development.

'There are some questions in which we have a different outlook,' he said.

A protester managed to infiltrate the news conference at Merkel's central Berlin office.

The man stood up as it ended, held up a cat doll, an oriental symbol of luck, and called out sarcastically: 'Full steam ahead for business! Forget all about human rights.'

Wen looked puzzled, but Merkel grimly gestured to him to leave the room with her.

Human-rights groups in Germany have persistently criticized China's detention of dissidents and police tailing of journalists.

Germany tried 10 years ago to find common ground by beginning 'dialogues' with Chinese officials on rights the rule of law.

China cancelled the meetings when relations were at a low ebb, but a joint statement said the dialogues were moving ahead, with a meeting next month in China about rights, and in September in Qingdao, China on the rule of law.