The Chinese ambassador to Ireland has said there is a financial opportunity for the Irish dairy industry with milk products aimed at China’s ageing population.
In a wide-ranging interview with the Irish Examiner, Mr He Xiangdong hit back at comments made by Tánaiste Micheál Martin, and described how the housing crisis here is impacting Chinese students and trade between both countries.
Mr He said due to various issues including a low birth rate in China — as well as a more saturated market — exports of baby formula have dropped.
Irish exports of infant formula to China accounted for €266m of the country’s €722m exports in total to the country last year.
However, this is down from a peak in 2017 at €618m.
Mr He said there is an opportunity for Ireland to produce specialised nutrition products aimed at its ageing population. He urged the Irish dairy industry to examine and adapt to changes in the Chinese market.
“I strongly recommend [the dairy industry] to read the change of China’s market more closely because the baby formula is just one dairy product.
For adults, for senior citizens, they need other formulas with nutrition, so maybe I think the dairy producers here in Ireland will adapt to the change of the market in China which I think will also promote more Irish dairy products to export into China’s market,” he said.
Mr He said China is exploring ways with the Irish Government and businesses to further promote bilateral trade and its economic cooperation. Ireland is one of the major trading partners for China in the EU and China is Ireland’s fourth-largest trading partner.
Over 40 Chinese companies are operating in Ireland and the total Chinese direct investment here is over €9.2bn, the ambassador said. The total Irish investment in China is €2bn.
The ambassador dismissed reports of a downturn in beef exports into the Chinese market this year after exportation was suspended in 2020 due to a case of atypical BSE .
He said between April and June this year, almost 2,000 tonnes of beef was delivered into the Chinese market from Ireland and it will increase in the coming months.
Speaking at his residence on Raglan Road in Ballsbridge, Dublin, Mr He told how Chinese students in Ireland are being hit by the housing crisis.
He said Chinese students are the “best seller” to attract Chinese tourism to Ireland as the majority return home once they complete their studies. However, he said a number of pupils have been in contact with the embassy over the lack of affordable housing and issues with landlords.
“I do hear some Chinese students complaining that they are facing housing problems because it is quite difficult for them to find housing, and especially affordable prices in the convenient communities and from time to time, my embassy has received some complaints from Chinese students about the relationship between the owner of the house.
I think this is a problem for some of the Chinese students because not all of them are from a rich family, so affordable housing is important for them.
“Affordable housing is an important factor to attract more Chinese students coming to study in Ireland,” he said.
However, he noted that Chinese students are facing similar issues in other countries such as Australia and the UK.
He said 5,000 Chinese people are studying here, contributing €40,000 per head annually to the Irish economy.
He said students strengthen the “mutual communication and understanding” between Chinese and Irish people and learn about Irish culture and history which they take back to China.
This is why he is “confused” about Tánaiste Micheál Martin’s comments urging Government agencies and the private sector to be “clear-eyed” about China’s intentions in Ireland as well as the need to asses their relationship with the country and examine areas where they need to “de-risk”.
“When we talk about de-risking, [the] first thing we need to know, to understand, to figure out is what are those risks?
“Where are those risks? So I don’t think there’s any fundamental risk from the economic and trade between China and Ireland,” he said.
When asked if he was insulted by Mr Martin’s comments, the ambassador said he wouldn’t use the word insulted, adding:But I do hope the Irish Government and Irish politicians will look into the bilateral relationship between China and Ireland in the more objective way.”
On a number of occasions during the interview, Mr He blamed “American or European fever” for decisions made by governments including Ireland in taking action to remove TikTok from Government officials’ phones following security advice.
Mr He said that the Chinese government has never spied on other countries.
“The secret of that [is] somebody is trying to cast their own shadow over the others because they are spying so they think everybody else is also spying,” he said while “gifting” this journalist the 2019 autobiography by whistleblower Edward Snowden.
“So it tells a story of certain countries spying [on] the world. I would say that [the] Chinese company or Chinese government has never spied [on] other countries, say to monitor the telephone conversation of the heads of the other government’s here in Europe and we never use the Chinese telecommunication equipment to spy on other countries,” the ambassador said.
He blames “misinformation” for the reason why he thinks some members of Government think the Chinese Government is involved in espionage. “Some people are getting American or Europe-fever,” he added.
“I do hope that, with communication, we can have a better mutual understanding on a lot of issues including this issue.” Mr He said “broadly” the relationship between the two governments is good and he’s “satisfied” currently.
“But we can do much more and we can do a better job to further promote that good relationship to a higher level because I think that progress will benefit our two countries and two people,” he said.
When asked if there was anything he’d like to raise, Mr He again returned to remarks made by the Tánaiste in which he said China and Ireland’s different world views, values, and interests will inevitably shape how we engage with one another.
“I think that nowadays people are talking about the polarisation of the world in the past few years,” Mr He said.
“People are focused more on differences among countries and, take an example as China and Ireland’s relationship.
“Some people are talking about the differences between our two countries will inevitably shape our relationship so I would say that differences make the world a better place, a more interesting place to live,” he said, before reciting a quote from the speech former SDLP leader and peace campaigner John Hume gave in Oslo in 1998 while delivering his Nobel Peace Prize lecture.
“Difference is of the essence of humanity. Difference is an accident of birth and it should therefore never be the source of hatred or conflict. The answer to difference is to respect it. Therein lies a most fundamental principle of peace — respect for diversity.”
Source : Irish examiner Oct 2 2023
