He told Xinhua that German media's biased reports about China did not start from the Tibet riots. German media tends to look for a scapegoat whenever people meet some major problems here in at home, he said.

"At time of high gasoline prices, it was reported that the Chinese are buying up oil. If butter and milk become expensive, then you will see media reports that the Chinese are buying up our milk. It is simply not true, but people just want to look for a scapegoat. And that I think is the reason for the one-sided reporting," Ganter said.

"The general population in Germany is not informed. They say exactly, what the media report," he added.

Ganter said that he personally wants to speak out and try his best to improve the mutual understanding between Germany and China.

"If people want to understand each other, of course you need to sit down and talk. Especially those major media, which can reach the majority of people, should appeal for sobriety and calm instead of reporting hysterically," Ganter said.

"But what prevails now is a hysteria, an unqualified hysteria," he added.

(Xinhua News Agency March 29, 2008)