Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)

It can be accepted on all sides that Fianna Fáil, in government, was involved over a number of years in working to develop effective relations between this country and the People's Republic of China, not least because of its significance as the second most significant economy in the world. In that context, I commend the Taoiseach and the Tánaiste on the work they have been doing. The adoption of the strategic partnership arrangement is a positive development.

As relations between our two nations are confirmed and as friendships are established, we find ourselves in a stronger position to be able to engage on the issue of human rights. While we are all conscious of the enormous importance of the economic relationships between us, would the Minister agree that we cannot just focus on these and that there are real and worrying issues of concern with regard to the human rights situation there? Does he accept Amnesty International's estimate that there currently half a million people in China enduring punitive detention without charge and that there are millions unable to access the legal system to vindicate their rights? Will the Minister give us some sense of how we will develop this parallel relationship of economic co-operation and at the same time have respectful engagement on the human rights issues?

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