(TibetanReview.net, Dec06, 2014) – Germany’s top official for bilateral human rights talks with China has on Dec 4 expressed frustration with lack of progress while his Chinese counterpart has maintained that disagreements were perfectly normal, reported the German news agency DPA Dec 4. Their comments followed the latest round of talks held that day in the German capital Berlin.
The report cited Christoph Straesser, the German commissioner appointed for the talks, as saying the two sides had failed to achieve “shared positions” on many issues. He has spoken of having raised self-immolations in Tibet by protesters against Chinese dominance, freedom of religion and the rights of minorities, and of having felt “frustrated” by the Chinese response.
However, the report cited Li Junhua, a senior Chinese Foreign Ministry official, heading the Chinese side, as telling journalists that there had been “frank and constructive talks” with Germany while adding that disagreements were perfectly normal and possibly caused by insufficient German access to the facts.
Li has added, “Perhaps each side understand human rights as something different,” adding China had already made “great progress” on the matter.
The annual dialogue will continue next year. Straesser has said, “We at least achieved the conclusion after five hours of very intense, sometimes controversial debate that there would be a continuation next year.”