Luke ‘Ming’ Flanagan is an Irish politician. He has been a Member of the European Parliament from Ireland since 2014. He is an Independent but sides in parliament with The Left in the European Parliament.
He has publicly defended China’s handling of sensitive matters like Xinjiang and Hong Kong. Luke questioned Western narratives and attributed some blame to the West for creating tensions. He has consistently criticized EU sanctions on China. Flanagan calls them ineffective and counterproductive. He advocated for dialogue and cooperation instead.
Recently, he overcame China’s carbon emissions by tweeting “China’s emissions are massive. That’s true. What’s also true is that China is producing half the stuff that was under the Christmas tree only a few days ago. So they’re our emissions too.”
He has expressed skepticism about human rights concerns raised regarding China. Flanagan often focuses on Western hypocrisy and advocating for non-Western solutions to global human rights challenges. This aligns him with Beijing’s official position but raises concerns about overlooking human rights violations and unfair trade practices.
Flanagan sits on the Committee on Budgetary Control and the Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development, where he can potentially influence budgetary allocations and agricultural policies related to China. He has been vocal in opposing resolutions critical of China and advocating for stronger EU-China economic ties.
Flanagan’s pro-China stance has drawn criticism from both within and outside Sinn Féin, raising concerns about potential biases and alignment with Chinese interests.
