Jim Higgins
Ceist:3 Mr. J. Higgins asked the Taoiseach if he has any plans to visit the People's Republic of China; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Ceisteanna — Questions. Oral Answers. - Visit to China.
Plans for any such visit would be announced shortly in advance, in accordance with established practice.
May I ask the Taoiseach for an assurance that if an invitation issues to him to visit the People's Republic of China, and if he decides to accept the invitation, he will resist the temptation to meet elder Chinese statesmen who might confirm him in his determination to stay on until he is 80 or 90 years of age?
(Interruptions.)
The Chinese revere old age and I am sure I could recommend that as a philosophy to the Deputy.
The Taoiseach could teach them a thing or two.
(Interruptions.)
The Taoiseach seems to be building a great wall around County Cork in regard to ministerial appointments.
I can assure Deputy Sheehan that he would feel perfectly at home and be, indeed, quite anonymous in the public squares in China.
I put it to the Taoiseach that surely any visit to China in the near future would be very inappropriate in view of the massacre at Tiananmen Square. If he decides to go will he give a commmitment in the House to raise the disgraceful way in which the people of Tibet have been treated by the Chinese Government?
The Deputy is an innocent man.
A Deputy
The massacre on the fifth floor is what concerns the Taoiseach.
Even though I am an innocent man myself, I am not quite as innocent as the Deputy. I wish to point out to him that this question put down by Deputy Higgins has nothing in the wide world to do with my going to China. It was put down simply to enable Deputy Jim Higgins to make a cheap little jibe. I want to assure Deputy Garland that there is no question of a visit to China on the agenda at this moment.
Contrary to what the Taoiseach said, I put it to him that there is a possibility that such an invitation will be extended to him. If he does go to China, would it be his intention to take to Tiananmen Square the Gang of Five whom he sacked today?
Question No. 4, please. Let us have appropriate business at Question Time.