BEIJING, Sept 3 (AFP) - China hopes a forthcoming meeting between German Foreign Minister Klaus Kinkel and his Chinese counterpart, Qian Qichen, will put relations back on track, foreign ministry spokesman Shen Guofang said Tuesday.

The two are due to meet on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York later this month, Shen said, adding "we hope this meeting will put bilateral relations back on track."

Ties have been strained since June when the German parliament passed a resolution calling for the respect of human rights in Tibet.

China, which has repeatedly said the issue of Tibet is a purely internal matter, immediately cancelled plans for a summer visit to Beijing by Kinkel.