Schröder was criticised in the media , and subsequently by Angela Merkel , for calling Putin a " flawless democrat " on 22 November 2004 , only days before Putin prematurely congratulated Viktor Yanukovich during the Orange Revolution . Only a few days after his chancellorship , Schröder joined the board of directors of the joint venture . Thus bringing about new speculations about his prior objectivity . In his memoirs '' Decisions : My Life in Politics '' , Schröder still defends his friend and political ally , and states that " it would be wrong to place excessive demands on Russia when it comes to the rate of domestic political reform and democratic development , or to judge it solely on the basis of the Chechnya conflict . " '' ' Relations with China ' '' During his time in office , Schröder visited China six times . He was the first Western politician to travel to Beijing and apologise after NATO jets had mistakenly bombed the Chinese Embassy in Belgrade in 1999 . In 2004 , he and Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao established a secure , direct telephone line . He also pressed for the lifting of the EU arms embargo on China
mistakenly bombed the Chinese Embassy in Belgrade
United States bombing of the Chinese embassy in Belgrade
Gerhard Schröder