A chara, – I note Frank Fahey’s suggestion (Letters, August 20th) that our party, Fianna Fáil, should consider developing a policy of partnering with China to deliver rail infrastructure in Ireland.
While supporting opportunities to develop trade and co-operation, any such arrangements must not involve a quid pro quo of turning a blind eye to the Chinese Communist Party’s ongoing abuse of human rights in Xinjang, Tibet, Hong Kong and of minorities as well as Beijing’s sabre-rattling with Taiwan and its misuse of technology, including AI, in surveillance of its own citizens. Ireland has rightly highlighted these as well as our opposition to the previous detention by China of an Irish citizen, Richard O’Halloran; the establishment of a Chinese police station at Capel Street, Dublin; and the ongoing unlawful detention of Jimmy Lai and other pro-democracy demonstrators in Hong Kong.
China’s belt-and-road initiative, where it invests in the infrastructure of other countries, is not for altruistic reasons. That it wants to grow its economy and strengthen its public perception internationally is not a bad thing. It is the fact that it also uses it to seek to influence the foreign policies of governments who benefit from investment to the extent that those governments would ignore human rights abuses and, worse, co-operate with the Communist Party’s repressive national security law (including to the point of extraditing opponents to China). It is of note that Italy, which had received support from China, exited the belt-and-road initiative last year.
The approach of the Government and of Fianna Fáil to Irish-Chinese relations was best articulated in the seminal address of the Tánaiste at the Royal Irish Academy on May 2nd last year. He pointed out that Ireland’s and China’s values and interests differ and where he called on the State and the private sector to be “realistic” about China’s true interests. He stated that Ireland wanted co-operation, including on international trade and on issues such as tackling climate change, but “we are not naive. And we do not intend to be silent when we see evidence of core principles being undermined.”
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The defence of democracy, human rights and the rule of law are core principles of both Irish foreign policy and the foreign policy of Fianna Fáil. We must always have enormous respect for the rich culture, history and entrepreneurship of the Chinese people and work with them to address common challenges; but we must never accept the totalitarian and dangerous worldview espoused by the Chinese Communist Party. – Is mise,
Senator MALCOLM BYRNE,
Fianna Fáil,
Gorey,
Co Wexford.