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IRELAND’S ENVIRONMENT MINISTER Eamon Ryan said he raised human rights issues with his Chinese counterpart during a meeting that focused mostly on climate and energy.
Speaking to TheJournal Beijing today, Ryan described his meeting with Chinese Minister for Ecology and Environment Huang Runqui as “businesslike”. He said the meeting lasted almost two hours and covered a lot of ground.
Ryan said he was involved in international negotiations around climate and emissions targets, and so “to have a connection with the Chinese representative is very important”.
“And so we were talking about COP 28, what’s going to happen in United Arab Emirates in November. How we can cooperate on things like loss and damage… and climate finance.”
Ryan also said they discussed technical matters like strategies to manage short-lived gases in the atmosphere, like methane. Energy matters were also raised, in the context of the war in Ukraine, and the pair also talked about “how we can cooperate on clean energy”.
As well as this, Ryan said he briefly raised issues to do with China’s human rights record. China has come under fire for a number of human rights violations, particularly for its treatment in recent years of Uyghurs Muslims in the Xinjiang province.
“I also raised… some of the issues like human rights issues,” he said.
But you do that not in a megaphone diplomacy way. But you know, you do it in a way where you raise those concerns and share our own perspective.
Working with China
Ryan is visiting China for the annual St Patrick’s Day celebrations and has been meeting with Chinese Government officials and diplomats in recent days.
Speaking generally about the need for countries’ to cooperate in the face of global climate challenges, Ryan said that the focus should not be too much on “megaphone diplomacy”.
“You can still very much stand up for human rights and international law and all the kind of values you espouse, but sometimes you can do it better when you do it in a respectful way,” he said.”
Or when you do it in a way which is making the point.. where it’s done in a diplomatic way.
Ryan said Ireland is a neutral country, and that in the face of many divisions, it was important to focus on “where you can cooperate” and find a common interest “and try to build a relationship there”.
I suppose that goes back to the Good Friday Agreement. That was what John Hume said… focus on big issues that you can work on together. So I think, in my view, politically for Ireland’s, it’s right for us to do that.
With reporting from Tadhg McNally in Beijing
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Consummate waffler full of his own self importance. The amount of hot air emanating from him is an environmental hazard.
@Paul Shepherd: couldn’t have put it better myself Paul
Bricking it now so they are
@Shaun Gallagher: If he’d said nothing to the Chinese you’d probably have whinged then too. What a nothing comment. Why bother?
@honey badger: Ahhhhhh
This lad is some chancer.
@ggg: can’t imagine what he’s doing over there anyway? It’s not like the Chinese are big st Patrick day celebrants anyway are they. It’s not like they dye the Xhangxi river green or anything. If I said what I think of Ryan I’d be banned from the journal for life. But let’s say it rhymes with canker!!!he was useless when he was minister for communications in 2002 and 20years later he’s still as useful as a chocolate dildo!!!
Any chance of Eamon going missing over there ? You hearing me Xi, ya know.
He would want to start looking after his own people before he tells others what to do
@Pauline Cahill: Exactly. The Uighurs have no complaints at all. They are part of government in fact. BUT the Chines do believe that having a house or home and access to good health service is a human right!!
Himself and Leo stealing a living from the Irish taxpayer
@ggg: they were elected. You didn’t stand. If you want change, join a party like SF and try make a difference.
Cap in hand to a dictatorship, embarrassing.
That’ll really scare the Chinese! What scares me is that he’s coming back!!
Ryan should be happy, “there are 9 million bicycles in Peking” (so the song tells us).
Dzzzzope!!!!!!!!
What about the human rights of Irish people. If he had his way they would freeze to death
They’re well fed up of him at this stage I’d say..
Who paid for this journalist to go to China. I very much doubt that anything that Eamon Ryan would say, could justify the cost of the Journal covering this expense.
If this clown is voted back in the people to blame are the voters who voted for him remember that
I heard the Chinese Minister responded by saying Ryan looked shattered and needed a lie down.
Knob
For all the greens out there …..your leader eamon Ryan used up enough aviation fuel going to China that 1200 cars would use on average in 1 year. He wants people to go vegan when much of the protein in these foods like soya and coconut oil come from areas if cut down rainforest that are supposed to pump out oxygen into the atmosphere. Seriously mix up party
Much of the polysilicon supply for the world’s solar panels is processed in China’s Xinjiang region, where companies are accused of using forced labour.
He is a hypocrite.
‘the cost to the Journal’
He’s some chancier, what about the basic right of ever man, woman and child here in Ireland to a place to call home. Him and his buddy’s are helping the wealthy landlord to evict thousands on to the streets of Ireland with no place to go. ????
As if they will listen
I can imagine the attention that the Chinaman paid to The Bicycle mechanic from Dublin .he was over there to buy Bicycles .
Dies he think people take him seriously
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