Robin Swann accuses First Minister of 'double standards' over meetings with China amid US boycott - Swann
Robin Swann has accused the First Minister of double standards over her boycott of the annual St Patrick’s Day event in Washington – while continuing meetings with Chinese government officials.
The Ulster Unionist MP says that Beijing is responsible for “daily human rights breaches” and poses a real threat to the UK’s national security.
Michelle O’Neill said last month that she would not attend the annual US event because she was “taking a stand against injustice” over President Trump’s position on the Israel-Hamas conflict.
The Sinn Fein politician has had numerous engagements with China in recent years in her roles as both first and deputy first minister. The last meeting was in February. A post on a Chinese government website said that the two sides “exchanged Spring Festival greetings and exchanged views on deepening the mutually beneficial and friendly cooperation between China and Northern Ireland”.
Emma Little Pengelly – who also attended the February meeting with Chinese officials – will travel to Washington for St Patrick’s Day.
Robin Swann told the News Letter that the First Minister has made clear her reason for not going to Washington DC is to show what she describes as a clear responsibility “to call out injustice”.
He said: “Despite this, the First Minister, along with the deputy First Minister, continue to meet with representatives from the Chinese government - a regime responsible for daily human right breaches, ethnic persecution, and posing a real threat to our national security.
“We don’t know, beyond a couple of lines from the Chinese government, what is discussed in these meetings, it would be a significant step if the First and deputy First Minister would confirm if calling out the great injustices we see in China was on the agenda.
“My Party colleague Colin Crawford MLA has called on the First Ministers to detail any consideration they have given on the political implication of meeting with the Counsel General of China, considering the decision of the First Minister not to meet the President of the United States of America.”
The Executive has no remit over foreign policy or international relations.