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In this 2024 Perspectives with Neilo Wrapped!, we rewind and revisit four episodes from earlier in the year, exploring a recurring theme that connects them.
In our first podcast back in January, we chatted with acclaimed journalist on contemporary China, Bethany Allen. We talked to her about her book "Beijing Rules" in which she discusses China's Authoritarian Economic Statecraft. In this revisit, we hear how the Chinese Communist Party has highly politicized the area of sister city twinning and the role of Confucius Institutes.
The topic of Confucius Institutes also came up in our second interview with Alexander Dukalskis, Associate Professor in the School of Politics and International Relations at University College Dublin (UCD). Professor Dukalskis is the author of "Making the World Safe for Dictatorship" and he shared his thoughts on why he thinks Ireland needs to invest in "serious independent expertise" on China. We called this episode, Irelands Knowledge Deficit on China. We also talked about Ireland's position on Taiwan and Leo Varadkar's controversial comments after the Chinese Premier's visit to Ireland last January.
Taoiseach Varadkar's comments on Taiwan back in January not only caught the attention of academics and the media, they also raised concern among Irish people living in Taiwan. Fr Sean O'Leary is an Irish missionary priest who has been living in Taiwan for two decades and I talked to him about his letter to the Irish Times in the podcast episode, The Shepherd of Dongshih.
The subject of Taiwan and in particular, why Ireland does not have a trade office in Taiwan, unlike many of our EU counterparts, also came up in an interview with Ireland South MEP Billy Kelleher when we spoke to him during his EU re-election campaign back in May. Billy shared his thoughts and insights with us.
I hope you enjoy this brief look back at some of the topics we covered in 2024. A big thank you to all my guests - MEP Billy Kelleher, Fr. Sean O'Leary, Professor Alexander Dukalskis and Bethany Allen. Indeed, a big thank you to all the guests who appeared on Perspectives with Neilo throughout 2024 - it would not have been possible without you!
Many thanks also to all our listeners - especially those of you who have subscribed or followed us on any of the podcast platforms! Your support is what keeps us going!
We would like to take this opportunity to wish you and yours a Very Happy and Peaceful Christmas. We look forward to chatting with you again in the new year!
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