‘I do think the Chinese and Northern Ireland people share a lot in common’ - China’s consulate in Belfast welcomes Year of the Snake

AS nearly 10,000 members of Northern Ireland’s Chinese community prepare to welcome the Year of the Snake, The Irish News was granted a rare invitation to the consulate building in south Belfast.

Located in MacNeice House on the Malone Road, an opulent listed building dating back to 1889, most residents don’t see beyond a high security wall which became the focus of protests and a quashed legal dispute in 2020.

With a full complement of staff on hand to welcome visitors through the red-carpet entrance, a drawing room decked out with large Chinese flags and artwork makes it easy to forget you’re still in Belfast.

Arriving for his interview soon afterwards, the Consul General Li Nan shared some of the many important family traditions of the Chinese New Year.

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He also addressed allegations of illegal police stations operating in consul buildings in the UK and Ireland, his hopes that the Trump administration won’t hinder imports of Irish Whiskey and the ongoing challenges facing a Chinese population of multiple generations in Northern Ireland.

With traditional performance events having already taken place at Queen’s University and Titanic Belfast, he said: “The Spring Festival is the most important and also the oldest according to Chinese traditional culture, this tradition has a history of more than 2,000 years.

“The Spring Festival is supposed to be a time for people to get together, to pray for good fortune and to celebrate family reunions and also promote community harmony.”

Many of those first emigrating in the 1960s to Northern Ireland originally came from Hong Kong and Guangdong province.

As well as joining the service industry in restaurants and supermarkets, he said others also join law firms or become academics.

“Generally speaking, I think they really enjoy their staying here, enjoy the friendship and the cordiality of all those local people.

“At the same time, they’re doing whatever they can to make contributions to the local community; for example making donations, working together on joint projects with other communities like the Polish diaspora, the African community in areas of welfare projects.

“Of course, they encounter some challenges. Sometimes, they may find it a little bit difficult to blend in because of the cultural background, but it takes time.”

In 2022, a senior Conservative MP claimed the Chinese government was operating four illegal “police stations” in the UK, including one in Northern Ireland – with the aim coercing those who speak out against the Chinese government to return home.

Another alleged police station was ordered to close in Dublin city centre in 2022.

Patrick Yu, a Hong Kong national who has lived in Northern Ireland for over 30 years, told the BBC at the time: “I think it’s about the monitoring of Chinese citizens and a way of threatening them.

“If you’re a Chinese citizen the government is always watching you.”

Addressing the claims, the consul general said: “I think that criticism may be originated from misinformation. We have never set up a so-called Chinese police station here, because Northern Ireland is part of the UK.

“The UK is a sovereign nation, so we would never interfere with other countries internal affairs.”

He added: “But it is good for me to clarify, once and again that we will never do such a thing and we have never done such a thing, because it’s not in accordance with our policies.

“It’s not our policy. We must also kindly advise our friends here in Northern Ireland, please disregard this misinformation. It’s not true, it’s not correct.”

On the return of Donald Trump to the White House and the threat of trade tariffs, he said: “I cannot decide what President Trump will do, he just took office several days ago.

“But a tariff or trade war will produce no winners. It is not good for anybody. For that one, our policy for that is very clear.

“We are ready to work with anybody who wants to promote a more prosperous and peaceful world but in the spirit of cooperation and collaboration.”

His hopes are for growing imports from Northern Ireland to China of agri-food products like dairy, beef and pork as well as Irish whiskey.

“China’s market is huge, we have more than 400 million people of a middle-income population,” he said.

“In the next (decade) maybe that will be doubled to 800 million. You can imagine the demand.”

Later, he gave a personalised demonstration of his calligraphy skills as well as explaining the significance of “couplets,” two banners which will hang outside front doors to welcome the new year as well as red envelopes, where young people will receive a small gift of money from relatives.

A world apart from the one-night celebrations of December 31, he said the 15-day Chinese New Year was about reconnecting with family and tradition.

“I do think that Chinese people and people in Northern Ireland share a lot in common by cherishing the family values,” he said.

“For example, before the Chinese New Year Eve, all the children of the family are supposed to go back to their parents’ house to prepare for the big family dinner.

“At this time of year, more than one billion people are on the move, travelling back home by place, train, bus, by their own cars.

“Sometimes the snow will create some challenge, but even then they will continue to move on.”

With the Year of the Snake embodying “wisdom, happiness, agility, tenacity and resilience,” he added: “I would like to take this opportunity to extend my best wishes to all the people, all the friends in Northern Ireland to enjoy our year of good health, good luck, good fortune, great happiness and great prosperity.”