Irish politician Mick Wallace has caused a stir on social media after revealing a new “no war” tattoo during a television interview in China. The controversial TD was visiting the country as part of a delegation from the Dáil Committee on Foreign Affairs, and took the opportunity to make a powerful statement on peace and conflict resolution. In this article, we’ll take a closer look at Wallace’s trip to China, and explore the significance of his new tattoo.
Irish MEP Mick Wallace and his political ally Clare Daly recently concluded a nine-day trip to China, which was marked by a controversial interview in which Wallace revealed a new tattoo on state television. The tattoo was of black lettering across his wrist, saying “no war” in Chinese, which drew questions from some Chinese commenters about Wallace’s choice of typeface. However, the MEP was praised by senior Chinese diplomats who reiterated China’s commitment to being a peaceful country and their message that they never start wars.
This visit by Wallace and Daly coincided with trips made to China by several top European political figures, including French President Emmanuel Macron and German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock. During this time, a controversy was sparked when Macron expressed his view that the EU should not be a “vassal” and should avoid being involved in any conflict between the US and China. His comments were criticized as sending the message to Beijing that Europe would remain neutral if it chose to invade Taiwan.
While on their trip, Wallace and Daly made sure to focus on the issue of how supportive the EU and its member states should be of Taiwan, which is considered by the Chinese Communist Party to be a breakaway province of China, while the government of Taiwan maintains that the “authorities in Beijing have never exercised sovereignty over Taiwan”. Wallace said during an interview with China’s official government accounts that “Taiwan is part of China. It is just off the mainland,” while Daly expressed her discontent with the EU and US’s treatment of Russia, causing her to believe that her economies would collapse if they took the same actions against China.
Additionally, the MEPs took the opportunity to slander Western journalists, with Daly accusing the media of receiving US money and therefore not being independent, while Wallace questioned whether Irish Times journalists were “taking the money from the National Endowment for Democracy”. The NED is an organization funded by the US budget to promote democracy overseas that has been banned in Russia and has provoked the ire of China’s foreign ministry, which accuses it of fomenting “anti-China” programs in Hong Kong, Xinjiang, and Tibet.
The content of Wallace and Daly’s trip has been heavily criticized by many, particularly those who believe that the visit was unsanctioned and did not represent the official views of the EU. Despite this, the MEPs have continued to share their views on their social media accounts, with Wallace even going so far as to label the BBC as “state-funded media”.
Overall, the trip made by Wallace and Daly seems to have focused heavily on China’s position with regards to Taiwan and the criticism of the Western world’s handling of foreign relations. However, it remains to be seen whether their visit will have any lasting effect on the EU’s relationship with China.
