Health Care Reform 2000 Federal government does not abolish diesel subsidy for farmers Environment Ministry on the expansion of Grundremmingen nuclear power plant Possible speaker change for 10th anniversary of the fall of the wall Berlin likely to continue to be governed by SPD and CDU Exhibit on Wehrmacht atrocities temporarily closed European central bank increases interest rates Trial against alleged members of Camorra postponed Bayern Muenchen and Hertha BSC advance in Champions League Exchange Rates and Stock Markets Sources Foreign Minister Fischer criticizes American security policy Washington. Federal Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer criticized the American security policy. At the start of his visit in Washington, he opposed the US government's plans to change the anti-ballistic missile treaty limiting defense missiles. The development of a new missile defense system would, according to Fischer, violate the ABM treaty with Russia.
China wants to discuss human rights and democracy with Germany Beijing.
China is prepared to discuss human rights and expansion of democracy with Germany, Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji said after a meeting with Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder. Schroeder said that he was highly satisfied with the state of the relations between Germany and China. China shows interest in maglev train Transrapid Beijing. The German firms BASF and Bayer plan to build two plastics factories in China. According to a member of the German delegation, China is also allegedly interested in building a maglev Transrapid train line between Shanghai and Beijing.