Stormont secrecy over China meeting ‘absurd’, say campaigners

Many Northern Ireland politicians pride themselves on speaking up for human rights on the global stage.

Their focus of concern in recent times has tended to be on Russia’s war in Ukraine and the Israel-Gaza war.

But when it comes to China’s record on human rights, the corridors of power at Stormont seem more muted.

There is seldom mention of China’s detention of minorities in “re-education camps”, nor its controversial Hong Kong security law which has clamped down on pro-democracy protests.

For campaigners, the refusal to publish records of meetings with Chinese diplomats raises fears that no concerns are being raised in private, never mind in public.

The Northern Ireland Executive has, for years, courted China for educational links and investment, setting up a trade bureau in Beijing in 2014.

In warning that releasing minutes of meetings could damage “international relations”, it is clear Stormont wants these connections to continue.

But when it comes to public transparency – particularly on human rights – campaigners say there should be no compromise.