ETNC Report - Ireland China Relations

 In July, the European Think-tank Network on China (ETNC) released their latest report on EU-China relations.

The report which is authored by members of 22 European think-tanks and research institutions, takes stock of the national approaches to China across EU member states focusing on areas such as national China strategies, coordination of information sharing, use of EU tools, risk analyses and engagements with Taiwan.

For the first time, the report contains a chapter dedicated to Ireland-China relations. It is written by Alexander Davy (@whambammian) who is an Analyst/Editor with MERICS (@merics_eu), the Mercator Institute for China Studies based in Berlin and he is my guest on this extended episode of Perspectives with Neilo. 

We discuss a range of topics including the size and nature of Ireland's trade with China, the difficult balancing act of engaging with both the US and China while navigating the complex internal politics of the EU, the contradictions between Ireland's position on China versus the country's core democratic values and the absence of indicators of China competency within the Irish government and much more. 

Date of recording: August 3rd, 2023.

Perspectives with Neilo · ETNC Report - Ireland China Relations

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Additional information and references on the topics covered in this episode:

• Ireland: From dragging its feet to breaking into a sprint - Alexander Davy, Analyst/Editor, MERICS (July 2023)

• From a China strategy to no strategy at all: Exploring the diversity of European approaches. A report by the European Think-tank Network on China (ETNC) - Edited by Bernhard Bartsch, Claudia Wessling (July 2023)

• Senior Chinese Communist Party figure meets government ministers in Ireland - John Mooney, The Sunday Times (July 9th, 2023)

• Coveney agreed to lobby European Commission on behalf of TikTok after ban - Donal MacNamee, Sunday Business Post (April 9th, 2023)

• Statement by Minister Coveney on National Security Law in Hong Kong - July 1st, 2020

• Irish Visa Scheme a 'financial Euro Disney for rich Chinese' - Michael Brennan, Sunday Business Post (June 25th, 2023)

• Speech by President von der Leyen on EU-China relations to the Mercator Institute for China Studies and the European Policy Centre (March 30th, 2023)