Berlin: German Chancellor Angela Merkel has rejected an idea of boycotting the Beijing Olympics in August over China's crackdown on pro-independence protests in Tibet.

"I do not believe in an Olympics boycott," the daily Bild newspaper quoted her as saying before leaving for a three-day trip to Israel.

The right-leaning newspaper said the conservative leader believed a boycott could backfire and exacerbate the situation in China.

Meanwhile German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said he had spoken to his Chinese counterpart Yang Jiechi for a nearly an hour by telephone today and expressed Berlin's "great concern" about the violence in Tibet.

A statement from his ministry said Steinmeier had called for Beijing to do everything in its power "to avoid a further escalation of the situation and bring about a peaceful end to the conflict."

He also called on Yang to ensure "the greatest possible transparency in the events in Tibet" and urged him to do all he could to protect Germans currently in the country.
Source : PTI