By Dave Graham

BERLIN, Aug 25 (Reuters) - German Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Saturday she would press China for help in ending human rights violations in Sudan's Darfur region when she meets Chinese leaders next week.

"China has very close ties with Africa and we will obviously talk about what we can do now to combat the appalling human rights violations in Sudan's Darfur region," Merkel said in a statement from her weekly podcast.

Merkel arrives in China on Monday and will meet President Hu Jintao, Premier Wen Jiabao and cultural and civil rights groups.

She heads to Japan on Wednesday where she will also address climate change and economic issues.

Sudan expelled the European Union and Canadian envoys to the northern African country this week after accusing them of interfering in the nation's internal affairs. The EU envoy earned a reprieve on Saturday.

China has sizeable economic interests in Sudan and has been under pressure to take a more critical approach to Khartoum after accusations aid from Beijing feeds violence in Darfur.

Experts estimate 200,000 have died and 2.5 million have been driven from their homes since violence erupted there in 2003.

Merkel said she would again touch upon human rights issues in China and protection of intellectual property rights.

Der Spiegel magazine reported on Saturday that top German government ministries, including Merkel's chancellery, had been infected by spying programmes from Chinese computer hackers.

Citing a report by German security services, the magazine said authorities believed China's People's Liberation Army, an arm of the Communist Party, was probably behind the attacks.

A spokesman for the Interior Ministry said attacks from computer hackers were a continual problem and the government had taken measures to protect itself.

Asked whether Merkel would raise with China the subject of attacks by hackers, her spokesman Ulrich Wilhelm said:

"We will in general hold intensive discussions with Chinese representatives on the subject of the protection of intellectual property," he told a news conference. "These will focus primarily on economic matters."

German industry says product piracy by countries including China costs the economy billions of euros every year.

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