The Minister for the Marine, Dr Woods, has hinted strongly in Beijing that Ireland may not support a motion condemning China's human rights record at the United Nations next year.
"Basically we'll be watching to see how the dialogue between China and the European Union will develop," Dr Woods told The Irish Times last night, referring to renewed contacts on human rights between China and the EU in October.
"China is now working closely with the EU and the United States so I would be hopeful this would lead to a positive development." The Minister also criticised Ireland's large trade deficit with China, which he blamed on "not doing our homework" and said Ireland should have a greater presence in China.
EU countries split on the human rights issue at the UN this year with several countries, led by France, dropping their support for an annual agreed EU motion condemning China's record for the first time since the 1989 Chinese crackdown on pro-democracy demonstrators in Beijing's Tiananmen Square. Ireland backed a motion proposed by Denmark in the absence of EU unanimity.
Beijing informed Dublin that the action adversely affected Irish-Chinese relations. China took more severe measures against Denmark, including the cancellation of contracts. Human rights organisations in the west regularly criticise China for the imprisonment of pro-democracy dissidents such as Wang Dan and Wei Jingshen, and China's policy on Tibet.
However, with Australia and Canada also opting this year for private dialogue with China, there is considerable pressure on smaller countries like Ireland and Denmark to look for a way out through dialogue as they seek increased trade with China.
Dr Woods is in Beijing at the head of a large fisheries delegation. It is the first ministerial visit since 1994. Ireland's low level of contacts with Beijing compared to other EU countries was due to successive Irish governments not realising fully the rate at which China is developing, he said.
"It's really quite staggering. You don't need much vision to see that there will in the next 10 years be a huge transformation here because people are now very open to change and pragmatic about economic development. The mood has changed. There's a huge trade imbalance and it is obviously growing. That's because we are not doing our homework."
Ireland exported goods worth £31.7 million to China in 1986 compared to China's exports to Ireland of £254.4 million. The figures for the first half of this year show the gap is increasing.
Dr Woods said Ireland's principal exports consisted of electrical goods, chemicals, office machinery and other equipment. He saw an opportunity to expand exports to China, particularly in foodstuffs, because of growing tourism which created demand for butter, milk products, smoked salmon, shellfish and other foodstuffs.