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Reposted on HaiCi; I think it’s good material on current affairs in English. Chinese Premier: Let the person who threw the shoe continue his studies. The Chinese premier, Wen Jiabao, has called on Cambridge University to show leniency toward the protester who threw a shoe at him last week, according to the foreign ministry. Initially, China condemned Martin Jahnke’s protest as “despicable”; it took place while Wen was addressing students during his three-day visit to the UK. However, a message from Wen, posted on the website of the Chinese embassy in the UK, read: “Education is the best help for a young student. It is hoped that the university will give this student the opportunity to continue his studies there. As a Chinese saying goes, it is more valuable than gold for a young person to correct his mistakes. It is hoped that this student will realize his error and try to understand China as it truly is and continues to develop.” Jahnke will appear before magistrates in Cambridge tomorrow on charges related to public order offenses. The 27-year-old German national is a postgraduate student studying pathology at the university. Witnesses said he blew a whistle and shouted, “How can this university compromise itself by working with such a dictator?” before throwing a black shoe at the stage; it missed Wen by several feet. Fu Ying, China’s ambassador to Britain, said in a statement: “This student’s inappropriate behavior provoked strong outrage not only among the audience but also among the Chinese people. It also damaged Cambridge’s image and reputation in China. From his words and actions, it is clear that he lacks knowledge about China.” She added that he had apologized to Wen and the Chinese people in a letter. According to the foreign ministry, Jahnke said “his behavior failed to reflect the respect and courtesy due to a guest of the university.” The foreign ministry also said that Gordon Brown expressed regret over the incident, and the university’s vice-chancellor visited the Chinese embassy to offer a formal apology. This protest echoed that of Muntazer al-Zaidi, the Iraqi journalist who threw his shoes at former U.S. President George Bush. Al-Zaidi is set to face trial next week on charges of assaulting a foreign leader. China’s official media initially provided little detail about the protest, referring only to an “interruption” of Wen’s speech, but later covered the entire incident. The Chinese foreign ministry stated that the Chinese premier had called on Cambridge University to treat the person who threw the shoe during his speech last week with leniency. **Following the shoe-throwing incident during its three-day visit to the UK, China **initially condemned the \"despicable\" act of Martin Junker, the person who threw the shoe**. However, a statement was published on the website of the Chinese Embassy in the UK: “For young students, education should be given priority; it is hoped that the school will provide him with the opportunity to continue his studies.” ” “A repentant sinner is worth more than gold; it is hoped that this student will acknowledge his mistakes and understand the true nature of China from a developmental perspective. ” Yank will appear in court tomorrow on charges of disrupting public order. This 27-year-old German is a postgraduate student in pathology at Cambridge University. Audience members at the venue at the time of the incident said that Yank first blew a whistle, and then shouted, “How can a university collude with **ers?” ”Finally, a pair of black running shoes was also thrown onto the stage. It was just a few feet short of hitting **. Fu Ying, the Chinese ambassador to the UK, said in a statement: “The student’s misconduct not only provoked strong outrage among the audience present and the general Chinese public, but it also affected Cambridge University’s image and reputation in China.” The student’s words and actions show a lack of even the most basic understanding of China. ” She added that the student had expressed apologies to Premier Wen and the Chinese people through a letter. Ministry of Foreign Affairs archives show that Yank said, “His behavior lacked the respect and courtesy due to a guest at Cambridge University.” The Foreign Ministry also stated that Prime Minister Gordon Brown expressed regret over the occurrence of this incident, and the vice-chancellor of Cambridge University came to the Chinese embassy to offer a formal apology. This protest reminds people of Iraqi journalist Muntazer al-Zaidi, who threw a shoe at former U.S. President George W. Bush. Zaidi will stand trial next week on charges of attacking a foreign head of state. Following the protest, Chinese state media quickly reported on the incident, mentioning that there was **\"interference\" during the speech**, and then provided a account of what had happened.