Liu Xia, widow of Chinese activist and 2010 Nobel Award winner Liu Xiabao has left China a year after her husband’s death. She has been under house arrest to varying degree since 2010. This development came along with Chinese Premier Li Keqiang’s visit to Germany. Liu Xia, a poet for whom Xiabao expressed his profound love many times during his ordeal in jail, left China for Helsinki on Tuesday.
Liu Xia’s escape from China hints at a deal between German Chancellor Angela Merkel and China. Shortly before she left China, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang met with German Chancellor. The Chinese Premier has been on a tour of Europe, a visit which is aimed at securing Chinese trade interests in a post Trump world of trade.
American President Trump has been very critical of Chinese trade policies. There is a looming threat of a rade war between Trump and China; therefore China has been looking out for partners in Europe. Most European countries have almost shunned Tibet and China’s human rights abuses there. Germany in contrast is still strong enough in making human rights a significant part of its engagements/conversations with China.
As per the reports coming from inner circles of Chinese Think tanks, Germany is willing to accept and accord China a more powerful role in the emerging world order. Liu Xia’s husband was a staunch supporter of civil liberties in China. He was able
to save many lives on the night on June 4, 1989 at Tiananmen Square. Though his wife Liu Xia was never an activist herself but despite that she was put under house arrest (of varying degrees) since 2010.
It has been learnt that China waited for the month of June (the month of Tiananmen Massacre) to be over to set her free. However her brother Liu Hui is still in China and has been sentenced to jail from a ‘fraud’. Though he has been released on a medical parole but his sentence could be carried out any time.