THE IRISH EMBASSY in Beijing has not removed displays of support for Ukraine, despite the Chinese government asking all foreign embassies to take down “propaganda” from their facades.

Ireland’s Department of Foreign Affairs says it will continue to have “visual reminders” of its support for Ukraine during the war.

A spokesperson for the European Union said the protocol department of the Chinese Foreign Ministry circulated a note on 8 May asking diplomatic missions to “respect Chinese laws and regulations” and “not to use the external walls of embassies to carry out politicised propaganda to avoid causing disputes between countries”.

The note does not specify what might constitute “politicised propaganda”, nor communicates further on the matter, said the spokesperson, Nabila Massrali, adding that the EU Delegation in Beijing “has not changed any items displayed at its front wall” either.

Chinese leader Xi Jinping’s government has said it is neutral in Moscow’s 15-month-old invasion of Ukraine but has repeated Russian justifications for the attack, accusing the US and Nato of provoking Moscow.

Beijing was due to send an envoy this week to Ukraine and Russia to discuss a possible “political settlement”, but the effort is thought unlikely to make progress given China’s rhetorical, diplomatic and economic support for Moscow.

In a statement to The Journal, Ireland’s Department of Foreign Affairs said: “In keeping with Ireland’s position on the illegal invasion of Ukraine, the Embassy of Ireland in Beijing has, continuously since the invasion, incorporated visual reminders of Ireland’s support for Ukraine at the Embassy compound and Embassy events.

“Since March 2022, a notice board on the exterior wall of the Embassy compound has been used for this purpose.

“A poster featuring the Embassy logo and the words “We Stand with Ukraine”, in both English and Chinese, with the Ukrainian colours as background, remains in place on the external wall.”

Contains reporting by the Associated Press

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