Kathleen Lynch (Cork North Central, Labour)
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Question 117: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs the foreign policy and human rights issues that were discussed in the context of the recent trade delegation to China; if he will provide details of such meetings held between the delegation and Chinese authorities, as well as bilateral meetings the Irish delegation held while at the meeting; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38386/08]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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I myself did not participate in the recent visit by the Taoiseach to China but I am aware that the Taoiseach took the opportunity presented by a bilateral meeting with Premier Wen Jiabao on 23 October to review Chinese-Irish bilateral diplomatic, political and economic relations. In the course of the discussion, the Taoiseach raised the issue of human rights, as he did subsequently the same day in an address to the Chinese Foreign Affairs University.

As has been reported to this House on many previous occasions, foreign policy issues and human rights are regularly discussed with the Chinese Government, both in Beijing and Dublin. The Government continues to stress at such meetings the great importance that Ireland attaches to human rights, fundamental freedoms and the rule of law, and to urge the Chinese authorities to ratify the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR).

Human rights issues also continue to be a constant and important point of dialogue with the Chinese authorities for the European Union, through the framework of the EU-China Human Rights Dialogue. This broad-ranging dialogue has allowed the EU to engage with China on such issues as freedom of expression, the death penalty, the independence of the judiciary, freedom of religion and minority rights, as well as to urge the Chinese authorities to abolish the "re-education through labour" system. Individual human rights cases are also raised. The next round of the dialogue will take place in Beijing on 28 November.