German Development Minister Heidemarie Wieczorek-Zeul has defended providing aid to China on the grounds that it assists technical improvement in the booming economy, reported dpa. "China does not need money, China wants advice," Wieczorek-Zeul told the Saturday edition of the daily Osnabruecker Zeitung. German aid to China, which totalled 67.5 million euros (97 million dollars) over 2007, has come under attack in Germany, on the grounds that the Chinese economy is booming and that China is itself an aid donor, particularly to Africa. In particular, German aid was aimed at improving the efficiency of electricity generation, the minister said. As China was bringing one coal-fired plant a week onstream, "it is important to us whether it is equipped with the most modern technology or is an old junk heap," she said. China in any case paid back the loans, Wieczorek-Zeul added. The German Development Ministry focuses on three areas in providing assistance to China: environmental protection and sustainable use of natural resources, sustainable economic development and transport, including modernizing the rail network. The Justice Ministry maintains a dialogue on human rights and the rule of law, although the Chinese halted discussions on this front following a private meeting between the Dalai Lama and Chancellor Angela Merkel in September.
