Forging China ties

Enda Kenny should have reminded the Chinese vice-president that it was Frank Aiken, acting on the advice of Conor Cruise O’Brien, who stubbornly insisted that all of the small nations in the UN should be free to discuss China’s representation in the General Assembly.

This was despite protests at the time from the United States, other Western countries and the Catholic church led by Cardinal Spellman. Aiken was also under severe pressure at home to retract his support for China. The main thrust of that pressure came from none other than the all-powerful Archbishop of Dublin and Primate of Ireland, John Charles McQuaid.

The Taoiseach seems to have been poorly advised during his discussions with Xi Jinping last week and missed a wonderful opportunity to cement the goodwill and respect now developing between our two countries.