A PROTESTER threw a SHOE at Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao on his final day in Britain yesterday.

By GEORGE PASCOE-WATSON
Political Editor

The trainer landed a few feet from Mr Wen as he gave a speech at Cambridge University.

It was an echo of the protest against ex-US President George Bush, who ducked a shoe in Iraq in December.

Trade boost ... Mr Wen and PM meet for talks

Mr Wen — who had earlier lectured PM Gordon Brown for pushing the world’s economy to the brink of disaster — branded the ambush “despicable” last night.

Onlookers said the human rights protester stood up and shouted: “How can you listen to this unchallenged?”

He accused the Chinese leader of being a dictator. Others in the audience jeered at officials who bundled him out, yelling: “Shame on you.”

Police arrested the man on suspicion of committing a public order offence.

Welcome ... Chinese flags are waved outside Downing Street

He was being questioned last night. Earlier Mr Wen issued a blistering attack on Britain’s policies of sky-high borrowing and spending.

Standing next to Mr Brown at the Foreign Office in London, he said the West’s economic bubble was bound to burst — with catastrophic consequences.

Asked if capitalism was to blame for the global slump, the Chinese Premier said: “Some economies have imbalances in their economic structure. They have been overspending by borrowing.

“Some financial institutions pursued profit in a blind way without effective regulation. They have been using excessive leverage to gain huge profits, but once the bubble burst, the world was exposed to disasters.

“This financial crisis has given us some hard lessons.

War footing ... ex-president ducks shoe in Iraq

“It does show how dangerous a totally unregulated market can be. It brings disastrous consequences.”

Mr Wen said the world’s financial system must now be reshaped as “fair and equitable”, promoting development in poor countries.

The criticism cast a shadow over Mr Brown’s boast that British exports to China would double to £10billion over the next two years.

The PM also announced business secretary Lord Mandelson and nuclear energy secretary Ed Miliband would visit Beijing in April.

He said: “The strength of the relationship between China and Britain will be a pivotal force in helping us through the downturn.”

Mr Wen’s three-day visit has been dogged by protests over human rights and Chinese policy in Tibet.

Mr Brown said he had raised the issue of human rights with Mr Wen.

g.pascoe-watson@the-sun.co.uk

 

Shoe threw that? ... trainer