AFP: Chinese president visits Volkswagen factory on German visit

WOLFSBURG, Germany, April 12 (AFP) - Chinese President Jiang Zemin toured the Volkswagen auto factory in the central German city of Wolfsburg Friday amid high security. Jiang, who began a six-day visit to Germany Monday, was due to discuss extending a contract for VW Shanghai, a German-Chinese joint venture. His stopover in Dresden on Thursday had been marked by protests against human rights violations in China.

After leaving the Zwinger museum complex in Dresden, a woman emerged from a group of about 50 cheering and flag-waving Chinese students to shout "Falun Gong, " the name of a spiritual movement banned in China. Later, a small group of activists from the German Tibet Initiative held a silent vigil against human rights violations in China, in front of Dresden's communist-era Cultural Palace. Jiang has been largely shielded from the public and the press during his visit.

German President Johannes Rau and Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder broached the subject of human rights violations in China during closed-door meetings in Berlin on Tuesday but have refrained from publicly criticising their guest.

Germany is Jiang's only destination in Europe. After leaving the country Saturday, he will continue on to Libya, Nigeria, Tunisia and Iran.