Merkel expected to press China on climate, Darfur

BEIJING, Aug 27 (Reuters) German Chancellor Angela Merkel is expected to push for tougher global action against climate change and ending human rights abuses in Darfur in meetings with top Chinese officials toay.

The visit to China is Merkel's second as Chancellor and comes four months before world environment ministers meet in Bali, Indonesia to try to launch new talks to extend the Kyoto Protocol beyond 2012.

Merkel said on Saturday she would press China for help in ending human rights violations in Sudan's Darfur region.

''China has very close ties with Africa and we will obviously talk about what we can do now to combat the appalling human rights violations in Sudan's Darfur region,'' Merkel said in a statement at the weekend.

A German government official said the aim of the trip was to deepen relations.

''In particular, we have possibilities for closer cooperation on the environment, energy efficiency, green technology and innovation,'' the official said.

Merkel will meet President Hu Jintao, Premier Wen Jiabao and cultural and civil rights groups today. She heads to Japan on Wednesday where she will also address climate change and economic issues.

At a June summit, chaired by Merkel, G8 leaders agreed to pursue substantial, if unspecified cuts, in greenhouse gases and work with the UN on a new deal to fight global warming.

The Kyoto Protocol obliges 35 rich nations to cut greenhouse gas emissions but developing nations, including China, have no targets.

China will overtake the United States by 2008 as the world's leading emitter of greenhouse gases.

Merkel said she would again touch upon human rights issues in China and protection of intellectual property rights.

Der Spiegel magazine reported on Saturday that top German government ministries, including Merkel's chancellery, had been infected by spying programmes from Chinese computer hackers.

Another priority will be business.

China is overtaking the United States as the world's second-biggest exporter and steadily catching up with Germany, the world's biggest.

REUTERS RN RK0845