German legislator denied visa by China for pro-Tibet remarks

China has denied visa to a German legislator heading the human rights panel for his remarks backing “Tibetan independence”, saying his position is against Germany’s one-China policy, state media reported on Friday.

Michael Brand, Chairman of the Committee on Human Rights and Humanitarian Aid of the German Bundestag, is not welcome to China, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang said, defending Beijing’s move to deny him a visa.

Brand’s position of backing “Tibetan independence” is against Germany’s one-China policy, Lu said on Friday.

Brand was denied permission to visit China purely because of his position on Tibet, not for his comments on the human rights situation in China, according to the state-run Xinhua news agency. Brand, who reportedly criticised China’s human rights record, sought a clear response from the German Foreign Ministry about the denial of visa to him. Lu said the Chinese Embassy in Germany and relevant departments have done a lot of work preparing for the visit of the Human Rights Committee of the Federal German Parliament. “The German government knows that very well. The remarks by the specific person you mentioned are calling white black,” Lu said in his comments posted on the Chinese Foreign Ministry website. “We don’t invite him to China, not because of what he said about China’s human rights, since you know that he is not the only one that has something to say about China’s human rights. But a lot of people still made their visits to China.” “He cannot come because he blatantly breached the commitment of the German government to the “one China” policy and stuck his heels in advocating “Tibet independence” which is so wrong,” he said. “I can say for sure that China will not welcome such a man. I have to say that the Human Rights Committee of the Federal German Parliament is very unwise in issuing the statement and hurling accusations at China,” Lu added.