Germany's Foreign Minister on Thursday called for Chinese and Tibetans to hold talks, and urged China's leadership to allow full access to Tibet for reporters and visitors, according to AP. Chinese authorities have tightly restricted entry to Tibet and other parts of western China where more unrest has broken out since anti-government protests turned violent in Lhasa on March 14. Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier has spoken several times with his Chinese counterpart Yang Jiechi to express the «great concern» of Germany and the other European Union member states. «We are observing the developments in China, in Tibet with great concern,» Steinmeier told reporters. Earlier in the day, Gernot Erler, a deputy foreign minister, told the German parliament that images of violent protests by Tibetans and the harsh reaction by security forces came as a shock, Germany «is deeply convinced that this use of violence on both sides cannot solve a single problem,» Erler told lawmakers. He said that violence risked both discrediting Tibetans' demands for cultural and religious autonomy, and endangering China's hopes for a «positive presentation» of the country ahead of the Beijing Olympics. «We appeal ... to both sides to refrain from all use of violence, to make a serious attempt to de-escalate the situation on the ground, and so contribute to a civilized and sustainable solution of the political and cultural conflict that has become visible.»
