Joe Higgins (Dublin West, Socialist Party)

In the autumn I asked the Taoiseach to raise the treatment of workers in China as the regime rushed to replace its cruel Stalinist regime with rampant capitalism. There are more trade unionists in prison at various times in China than in any other country. Did he raise the issue of workers' rights, including the jailing of trade unionists, and what was the response? He said he met the Mayor of Shanghai. I cannot help feeling that the Taoiseach was "shanghaied" himself on the question of human rights in taking seriously the regime.

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