Call for Shanghai twinning to be dropped

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Written by Síle Cleary

Thursday, 27 March 2008

Cork City Council is coming under increasing pressure to drop it’s twinning arrangement with Shanghai in China in light of the recent protests by the tibetan community, as well as the continuing poor human rights record experienced in the country.

Chris O’Leary, Green Party Councillor who has been opposed to the twinning arrangement since it was proposed in 2004 by the Chinese embassy said, “The violence in Tibet has brought the whole issue to a head. Cork’s twinning with Shanghai is a purely economic arrangement and does not address human rights issues”.

Cllr. O’ Leary will be raising the issue in next Monday’s (March, 31) City Council meeting and is hoping for the Council to finally sever it’s ties with Shanghai.

The violence in Tibet recently caused Dublin to abandon it’s proposals to twin with Beijing due to human rights concerns. This was despite the significant economic benefits that the twinning would bring to Dublin.

Cllr. O’ Leary advised that Cork needs to revisit it’s twinning arrangements sooner rather than later as they seem to be influenced solely around economical benefits rather than considering the political, social and economical concerns altogether of the arrangement.

“Dublin is highlighting the importance of human rights by abandoning its prosposals to twin with Beijing.However, Cork seems to forget human rights and the fact that people are trying to make ends meet in the world.This can’t be tolerated”, he said.

Cork was twinned with Shanghai in May 2005 despite opposition from a number of councillors and human rights groups at the time.

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