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Dáil
‹ Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation

China human rights concerns

Summary

Deputy Broughan raised Hong Kong and the Uighurs and asked whether Ireland and Europe were afraid of China. The Tánaiste said Ireland engages constantly with China and regularly raises human rights issues.

I would like to thank the Attorney General for his decision to reopen the inquest into the Stardust tragedy of 1981. It is to be hoped it will bring peace, closure and justice to all of the families affected, whom the Taoiseach met in recent months.

I refer to Hong Kong, the Uighur nation and China. Are Ireland and its European partners afraid of the dictatorship which celebrated China's 70th anniversary yesterday? Given the clear desire of the people of Hong Kong to live in a democracy rather than under a dictatorship and in light of the savage repression of the Uighur nation in north-west China, where 2 million men are incarcerated in concentration camps, surely we cannot take a country which carries out such brutal repression seriously?

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Simon Coveney The Tánaiste Fine Gael

Our relationship with China is one of constant engagement. We have good and regular engagement with the Chinese embassy in Dublin and raise a spectrum of issues, including those relating to human rights, on a regular basis.

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