Beijing summons German ambassador

BERLIN: Beijing summoned the German ambassador after a meeting between Hong Kong activist Joshua Wong and Germany’s foreign minister, China’s envoy said on Wednesday, as a row between the trading giants escalated over the widening pro-democracy protests in the Asian financial hub.

Wong, 22, had arrived late on Monday in the German capital, where he met German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas at an event hosted by daily newspaper Bild -- a meeting China branded "disrespectful".

"The ambassador was summoned in Beijing by the foreign ministry," China’s ambassador to Germany Wu Ken told reporters, without giving details. "What I can say is how big the disappointment is on the Chinese side, and we protest very strongly. This incident will have a very negative impact on the bilateral relationship".

China has regularly accused "external forces", notably the United States, of being behind the unrest in Hong Kong. Millions have taken to Hong Kong’s streets over the last 14 weeks in the biggest challenge to China’s rule since the city’s handover from Britain in 1997. Wu accused "some radicals" of using democracy as a mask to hide their separatist intentions.