Published by: World Tibet Network News, Monday, June 24, 1996

BONN, 24 June (Dow Jones)--Chancellor Helmut Kohl took China to task for calling off a visit by Germany's foreign minister.

In a statement through his spokesman, Peter Hausmann, Kohl said he regretted China's decision, which he termed unjustified.

Last Thursday, German federal legislators adopted a resolution calling on China to meet international human rights standards, stop policies that erode Tibetan culture, and negotiate with the Dalai Lama, the Tibetan leader who has lived in exile for 37 years.

The resolution has infuriated Beijing, which Sunday indefinitely postponed a planned July 11-14 trip to China by German Foreign Minister Klaus Kinkel.

The Chinese government contends the resolution is a ''brazen trampling upon international law and a brutal misrepresentation of Chinese international policy.''

There are concerns that China might also cancel an impending visit by German President Roman Herzog, which could make German-Chinese relations even worse.

In the statement issued by Hausmann, Kohl said the German parliamentary resolution ''does not justify such a decision'' by China.

Kohl stressed that Germany does not question that Tibet is a part of Chinese territory. He said the parliamentary resolution goes no further than supporting cultural and religious autonomy for Tibetans.

Kohl added that Germany's government and parliament agree that ''a dialogue on critical questions,'' such as those about human rights, ''should be included in German-Chinese relations, which have been traditionally based on friendship and long-term cooperation.''