Merkel in Beijing says Hong Kong freedoms must be 'guaranteed'

German Chancellor Angela Merkel said Friday the rights and freedoms of people in Hong Kong "must be guaranteed" after meeting with Chinese Premier Li Keqiang in Beijing, her spokesman said.

Hong Kong has been plunged into months of pro-democracy protests, and ahead of her three-day visit to China this week demonstrators in the semi-autonomous city appealed to the German chancellor to support them in her meetings with China's leadership.

In a tweet Friday, spokesman Steffen Seibert quoted Merkel as saying: "The rights and freedoms of the people of Hong Kong must be guaranteed. Solutions can only be found in dialogue; do everything possible to prevent violence".

Merkel arrived in China on Thursday with a large business delegation in tow.

The businesses travelling with Merkel include Volkswagen, Allianz and Deutsche Bank according to the German daily Bild, which carried a headline Friday that read: "Do our companies not care about Hong Kong's freedom?"
"We hope that you will express your concern about our catastrophic situation and that you will convey our demands to the Chinese government during your stay in China."