Premier Zhu Meets Germany's Kohl

Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji met Helmut Kohl on Saturday, becoming the latest foreign leader to shrug off the campaign funding scandal that has shattered the former chancellor's reputation at home.

Kohl met Zhu at Berlin's plush Hotel Adlon for breakfast and said he was very glad to see him again. "You look extremely well," the ex-chancellor remarked as the two men shook hands.

While the 70-year-old has become a virtual recluse of late, Kohl said foreign acclaim had given him strength after visits in recent weeks from US President Bill Clinton, Russian President Vladimir Putin and French President Jacques Chirac.

Kohl testified before a parliamentary inquiry into the slush fund scandal for the first time on Thursday, and denied taking bribes. He said his opponents were trying to destroy his legacy as the architect of German reunification.

After meeting Kohl, Premier Zhu was received by German President Johannes Rau at his official residence, where he signed the official guest book before entering into private talks.

Zhu said after meeting Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder on Friday, that China was prepared to attract investment to a market of 1.26 billion people.

The two leaders signed a six-point accord which said dialogue on the rule of law should help promote "stable and social development in China" and should be continued as part of deeper bilateral ties spearheaded by increased trade.

Zhu was due to fly to Hamburg later on Saturday and travel by train to the town of Lathen on Sunday where he will take a ride on the test project of Germany's Transrapid - a futuristic magnetic high-speed railway.

Transrapid signed a deal on Friday to conduct a 1.6 million mark ($784,300) feasibility study into building a rail link in Shanghai, which Zhu said could lead to a deal worth $20 billion for the troubled consortium.

Later on Sunday, Premier Zhu will visit the Expo 2000 world fair in Hanover with Schroeder, before leaving for Luxembourg on Monday morning.



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