The German government Friday strongly criticised the 11-year prison sentence handed out to Chinese dissident Liu Xiaobo and called on Beijing to allow greater freedom of expression in the nation, DPA reported.
"Despite the great progress in other areas in the expression of views, I regret that the Chinese government still massively restricts press freedom," said German Chancellor Angela Merkel in a statement.
Echoing the chancellor's views, German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle noted that China subscribed to the international convention on civil and political rights, which guaranteed fundamental human rights, including the right to freedom of expression.
"I encourage the Chinese government to continue along the path of openness and modernization of their country as well ensuring human rights," Westerwelle said.
