November 8, 2023
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) has taken note of the press release published by the Department of Foreign Affairs of Ireland regarding the meetings between Irish Tánaiste Micheál Martin, who also serves as minister of foreign affairs and minister of defense, and Chinese Vice President Han Zheng and Foreign Minister Wang Yi on November 7. In the meeting, Tánaiste Martin confirmed the importance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and set out Ireland’s long-held concerns around the human rights situation in China, including the national security law in Hong Kong and the unequal treatment of minorities in Xinjiang and elsewhere. Tánaiste Martin emphasized Ireland’s long held view that human rights issues of concern should be comprehensively discussed and examined within the UN human rights architecture.
Tánaiste Martin’s remarks are consistent with comments he made in an address to the Royal Irish Academy on May 2, in which he clarified the importance of the relationship between Ireland and Taiwan, called for the maintenance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, and opposed any attempt to change the cross-strait status quo by force.
MOFA welcomes and commends the stance of the governments of Ireland and other like-minded countries in voicing support for peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and underlining the importance of human rights during their engagements with China. Taiwan will continue to deepen exchanges and cooperation with its global partners to jointly make further contributions to freedom, democracy, peace, stability, sustainability, and prosperity.