Northern Ireland

Belfast City Council spends £40,000 on trips to China

Residents protesting last week at the Chinese Consulate on the Malone Road in south Belfast. Picture by Hugh Russell
Residents protesting last week at the Chinese Consulate on the Malone Road in south Belfast. Picture by Hugh Russell Residents protesting last week at the Chinese Consulate on the Malone Road in south Belfast. Picture by Hugh Russell

BELFAST City Council has spent almost £40,000 on trips to China in four years, but refuses to release details on meetings with its consulate – claiming this would harm international relations.

The north's largest local authority organised four trips since 2016, including two in one year, in a bid to encourage links in education, business and tourism.

But the city council has refused to disclose any information about meetings it has held with Belfast's Chinese Consulate so far this year.

This would "prejudice relations between the United Kingdom and China", it argued in its response to a Freedom of Information (FOI) request by The Irish News.

Council planners clashed with the consulate earlier this year over it building a perimeter wall without permission, causing uproar among residents in the leafy Malone Road area.

The council raised the dispute with the British foreign office and launched unsuccessful legal proceedings which cost ratepayers almost £40,000.

Patrick Corrigan, Amnesty International's Northern Ireland programme director, described the council's refusal to disclose details of meetings as an "astonishing level of secrecy".

He questioned whether the council was fearful of repercussions from the Chinese government, which has previously acted against those who criticise its human rights record.

"Belfast's relationship with China is supposed to be about fostering business, tourism and educational links. The idea that releasing details of meetings related to such matters could prejudice relations between the UK and China beggars belief," he said.

"The refusal to disclose may suggest that Belfast City Council is fearful of repercussions from China, should there be publication of any matters embarrassing to the Chinese government. We know, for instance, that the Chinese government has taken reprisals against those who attempt to hold it accountable for its serious human rights violations.

"Councillors should insist that the council is open and transparent with the public about its contact with Chinese government officials."

A total of £39,087.97 has been spent by the council on trips to China since 2016, involving both councillors and senior staff.

The most expensive was a week-long trip in May 2017 which cost £14,915.61 and involved then DUP lord mayor Brian Kingston, the UUP's Chris McGimpsey and two officials.

In May 2016, a total of £13,002.91 was spent on a week-long trip for then Sinn Féin lord mayor Arder Carson, Alliance's Emmet McDonough-Brown, council chief executive Suzanne Wylie and another senior staffer.

Two trips were organised in 2018. The first cost £9,831.33 and involved then Sinn Féin lord mayor Deirdre Hargey and two staff members, while the second was for one official at a cost of £1,338.12.

In its FOI response, the council said these trips involved signing a 'sister city agreement' between Belfast and Shenyang, as well as exploring potential business opportunities and "collaboration in the field of education, business and tourism".

It emerges as Arlene Foster and Michelle O'Neill continue to resist calls to publish minutes of a conference call in which China alleged the ministers said they "understand and respect" draconian security laws imposed on Hong Kong.

The first and deputy first ministers' department claims releasing the record from July would harm relations with China.

The Stormont ministers have disputed the consulate's account of the meeting, which was later amended on its website to remove the controversial statement.