Foreign Policy
Dail Éireann — 2024-01-25
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Peadar Tóibín (AON), Meath West

I understand that another diplomat, when he heard a report that the issue of human rights was mentioned, wondered how he had missed it because he had not noticed it at the meetings. The two pieces of evidence we have heard today are in contradiction.
The US has moved to ban imports from Xinjiang and to stop slave labour products made by Uyghurs from being sold in the US. The EU proposed to do the same but has still not done so. Whatever about the argument about how strong or weak the Government’s presentation on human rights in those meetings is, what material step has it taken to ensure we do not accept products from forced Uyghur labour into this country? Why is the EU on the back foot? Is it the case that commercial interests are more important on balance than human rights in China?

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/dail/2024-01-25/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:52:35+00:00
Sitting date: 2024-01-25