Germany fears erosion of Hong Kong’s autonomy, Merkel claims By Reuters

BERLIN (Reuters) – Germany fears that Hong Kong’s autonomy is becoming “eroded” and Berlin will elevate issues these as human legal rights with China during its presidency of the EU that began this month, Chancellor Angela Merkel claimed on Friday.

“Based mostly on an open dialogue, we also converse about the rule of law and human rights, as nicely as the foreseeable future of Hong Kong where by we are concerned that the vital theory of ‘one nation, two systems’ is being eroded,” Merkel mentioned.

She spoke to the Bundesrat higher dwelling of parliament, outlining priorities for Germany’s fifty percent-yr EU presidency, for the duration of which it aims to make a trade deal with China a priority.

“In purchase to have profitable relations with China and to symbolize our European interests correctly, Europe need to communicate decisively with a single voice,” Merkel reported.

“Only with each other the 27 EU member countries have adequate weight to reach bold deals with China.”

The EU is going through tension from rights teams and activists not to put its financial passions to start with, right after China unveiled a countrywide protection legislation for Hong Kong this 7 days, which Western countries say threaten freedoms savored by the city considering the fact that it was returned from British rule to China in 1997.

The bloc is keen to make progress on an EU-China investment decision offer after six many years of talks. It wishes to see movement in areas such as autos, biotech and micro-electronics, and see Beijing restrict subsidies for state-operate organizations.

The president of the European Union Chamber of Commerce in China reported very last thirty day period he doubted a offer would be concluded this 12 months, voicing fears China was drifting towards isolation.